Amber Hutchingson and the Evolutionary Beginning
by digital devotion
Summary: When her Muggle parents are murdered by magic, Amber Hutchingson is thrown into an adventure that will test her courage, friendships, and everything she believes in. First book in a series of seven!
1. Chapter One

**Author's Notes**

Just to let everyone know before they begin reading, this was written a year in advance to the publication of the seventh and final Harry Potter book. Some events that happened in the seventh book should be disregarded when reading this story. This story should be considered an AU.

I hope that everyone enjoys reading this story. I would very much appreciate reviews that give me constructive criticism. There will, hopefully, be six more stories dealing with these characters after this one. If anyone notices anything that deals with the original books (except for the seventh one) that I got wrong, please mention it in a review and I will try to get it fixed.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story! It took little over a year to complete the entire thing. It was originally written in Arial, Size 11 (not including Chapter titles) and took up 319 pages on my OpenOffice Writer.

**Extra Note: **I decided to rewrite this chapter because the first draft seemed too much like the original Harry Potter book. Hopefully, this new version will come out smoother than the first draft. It's my first time actually trying to rewrite something I've already written for a story, and it turns out I enjoyed rewriting it. Now it's got more of its own plot to it.

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**Summary**

Amber Hutchingson used to think she was a normal girl, until she finds out she is a witch on her eleventh birthday. At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Amber easily makes herself friends and enemies. When Amber's Muggle parents are murdered by magic, Amber's adventure really begins. Amber soon learns of something that happened in her past that has been kept hidden from her for the past ten years. Along with this new found past, Amber and her friends begin to realize that they can do things that would seem abnormal even by wizard standard. Will she be able to cope with the events that are leading up to an encounter that could possibly mean Amber's life or death? Will she perish at the hands of the second most powerful wizard in history? Read and find out!

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter. I do own any characters made up for the purpose of this story. Please do not use them.

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**Chapter One**

_**The Letter**_

Amber Jane Hutchingson was Muggleborn. Both of her parents families had no magic in them at all. One can imagine their surprise when Amber received a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on her eleventh birthday, three months before September first. What had started out as a pleasant day was rudely interrupted when a tawny owl came swooping out of the fireplace with a letter clamped tightly in its beak.

"It's getting soot everywhere!" Samantha Hutchingson, Amber's mother, cried.

The owl dropped the letter in Amber's lap. With a solitary hoot, it flew back up the chimney, leaving behind a confused family of three.

Harold Hutchingson, Amber's father, was flabbergasted and didn't know what to say. Mrs. Hutchingson, however, jumped to her feet and walked over to her daughter.

"What is it, Amber?" she wondered, brushing soot off the blue chintz chair Amber was occupying.

Amber, with trembling fingers, lifted the letter and read aloud,

"Miss Amber Hutchingson, Number 3, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey," Amber's golden-hazel eyes glanced up at her mother. "It's for me!"

"Who would be sending you a letter by _owl_?" her father stood up and joined his wife by their daughter's chair. "And on your birthday, too."

"Can I open it?" Amber was now bouncing with excitement, her curling-iron made, dark brown curls jerking.

"Of course you can open it!" her father chuckled. "It is addressed to you, isn't it?"

Without hesitation, Amber ripped open the letter and pulled out a packet of parchment. Reading aloud the contents of the letter, her voice rose in pitch.

"HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall

"_Dear Miss Hutchingson, _

_We are pleased to inform that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1. Seeing as you are Muggleborn, someone will arrive at your residence on August 25 to help you purchase your necessary books and equipment. _

_Yours Sincerely,_

Professor Lovegood

Professor Lovegood

_Deputy Headmistress_."

Amber quickly turned to the next page and read off the list there.

"UNIFORM:

First year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothing should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of the following:

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_

by Miranda Goshawk

_A History of Magic_

by Bathilda Bagshot

_A Look into Magical Theory_

by Lilleno Watcher

_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration _

by Emeric Switch

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_

by Phyllida Spore

_Magical Drafts and Potions _

by Arsenius Jigger

_The Dark Arts: The Basics _

by Riann Rutherford

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 Wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS."

"What is all this?" Mr. Hutchingson wondered aloud, scratching his neck the way he did when he was mystified. "It seems like a joke. Not allowed their own _broomsticks_?"

"This is an awfully big joke, if it is one," his wife answered.

"I don't think it's a joke!" Amber stated, getting to her feet. A vivid smile spread across her face. "I think this means I'm a witch!"

Her mother's face went pale.

"How are you so sure about that?" her father looked at her sternly. "There's no such thing!"

Amber pointed at the letter, which was written in green, scrawly handwriting. "It says right here I've been accepted to _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_! Doesn't that mean I have to be a witch to go there?"

"This place may not even be real, honey," Amber's mother put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure one of your friends is not playing a prank on you?"

Amber shook her head. One thing her parents did not know was that Amber didn't have any friends. All of the students at her elementary school thought she was weird. Amber had never been all too sure they were wrong. Strange things always seemed to happen when she was angry, or unhappy about something.

_Could this be why?_ Amber thought, looking down at her letter. _If I really am a witch, it would explain all the strange things that happen!_

"There's only one way to know for sure," Mr. Hutchingson stated calmly. "We'll just have to wait until August twenty-fifth."

The doorbell rang.

"Oh, that'll be the family!" Mrs. Hutchingson chirped. "Hurry and hide that letter. Harold, answer the door so I can clean up this soot! And absolutely _no_ mention of this to the family! They'll think we've all gone crazy!"

Amber quietly slipped upstairs to her room and stuck the letter underneath her pillow. She didn't know why, but she felt an urge to glance out the window at the room across from hers in Number 4. She felt goosebumps on her arms, but her mother was calling for her and Amber, reluctantly, went down for her birthday party.

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Three months later, on August twenty-fifth, Amber was anxiously waiting in the living room for any sign of a weird stranger. She had gone outside to sit on the wall out front, but the elderly lady who lived in Number 4 was out in her garden. Amber had never liked the Dursleys; she had always thought they were mean, even though she'd only spoken to them once when her family had moved in four and a half years ago.

So, Amber occupied herself inside by watching an old cartoon on the television. Most of her summers were spent in front of the television, or reading books from the local library. Sometimes her parents would take her on vacation to other places, but Amber liked being at home with nothing to do. It was far better than having to worry about schoolwork and what the other students thought about her.

There was a knock on the front door, and Amber was violently jarred out of her reverie. She was on her feet and opening the door before her mother could even call out for her to get it.

Standing in the doorway was a rather tall, pleasantly plump man who seemed to be in his middle thirties. There was a nice smile on his face, and his blonde hair was combed to one side. His attire consisted of a pair of faded jeans, a blue sweater, and a denim jacket. His hand was ominously stuck in the folds of the denim jacket, as if he were hiding something.

"Hello. You must be Amber," his smile widened as Amber's mother came up behind her. "And you must be Mrs. Hutchingson. I'm Neville Longbottom. I'm aware your daughter received a letter from Hogwarts a few months ago, saying I would be coming?"

Amber's mother stared hard at him. "I thought that letter was a joke, or maybe a mistake."

"It's neither, I can assure you. May I come in?"

"If you must," Amber's mother answered stiffly.

The kindly looking man stepped inside and shut the door behind him. Amber didn't wait for her mother, she guided Mr. Longbottom into the living room. The TV was still on, and Amber turned it off with the remote. Mr. Longbottom seemed curious about the television but turned away from it to address Amber and her mother.

"I'm the Herbology teacher at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress, thought I would be perfect for the job of escorting you to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies," he grinned again. "I was sure you would have questions for me, so I came early."

"Am I a witch?" Amber blurted, ignoring her mother's stern hushing sounds.

He chuckled. "Yes, you are a witch, Amber. It's actually not uncommon for there to be Muggleborn witches and wizards. A good friend of mine is one, actually, and she was always the best student during our time at Hogwarts."

"What's Diagon Alley?" Amber questioned quickly. "And do I really get a wand? And do I get a pet, too? The letter said I could have an owl, a cat, or a toad!"

"Amber, please!" her mother tried hushing her again.

"It's alright, it's normal for her to be curious. Diagon Alley is where you'll be getting all of your school supplies. You will be getting a wand, and yes, you will be able to get a pet, if your parents allow it." Neville Longbottom seemed quite happy to answer all of Amber's questions.

"Can we go now?" Amber gasped. "To Diagon Alley, I mean."

"If your mother doesn't have any plans for today," he turned to look at Mrs. Hutchingson, clearly asking her if it was alright to go.

"I did have something planned..."

Amber interrupted her mother.

"Please, please, please! I really want to go! And I'm sure Mr. Longbottom will allow you to come, too! Won't you, Mr. Longbottom?" Amber glanced at him with pleading eyes.

"It's actually Professor Longbottom, Amber," he winked at her. "And yes, your mother was supposed to come with us in the first place."

Amber turned back to her mother, the same pleading look in her eyes.

"Fine, just please stop with that look!" Mrs. Hutchingson laughed. "Let me get my purse. We'll be paying for everything, won't we?"

Neville Longbottom nodded. "It'll have to be exchanged first, but yes."

Amber was so excited, she almost forgot to run upstairs and grab her jacket. Once more, she had the strange goosebumps when she looked over at the bedroom in Number 4. But she immediately forgot about it again when her mother called for her to hurry up.

Neville Longbottom took them deep into London and to a little pub called the Leaky Cauldron. Amber watched her mother's eyes drift over the place, even though she herself could see the place just fine. Professor Longbottom had warned them that Mrs. Hutchingson would not be able to see the building because she was a Muggle, or a person without any magical ability.

The trio entered the pub and Amber found herself in the company of many strange people. There was a group of oddly clad women sitting at a table in a corner, speaking quietly amongst themselves. A wizened old man waddled over.

"Sorry, Tom, just passing through," Professor Longbottom smiled. "First year at Hogwarts, here to get her stuff."

"Ah, yes," the man named Tom smiled at Amber, and she saw that some of his teeth were missing. "Have a good day."

"Follow me, please," the teacher ordered, heading into the back. Amber stole one last look at two men sitting at the bar. Both of them were pale and gaunt looking; they seemed to be discussing something rather serious from the looks on their faces.

"Hurry up, Amber!" her mother called and Amber hurried after them.

They came upon a blank stretch of brick wall. Amber stared at it, wondering what they were doing here. She watched with fascination as Professor Longbottom pulled out a stick, Amber assumed it to be his wand, from the jean jacket and tapped the bricks in a sort of pattern that Amber was sure to remember. Then, as the three watched, the brick wall opened up onto a sight Amber could only have dreamed of.

Right in front of them was a long road filled with numerous shops on either side. The street was bustling with people of all sizes, and all ages. A group of six year olds sped past, all of them holding multicolored lollipops. As they walked into the crowd, Amber felt as if she had waited for this moment her entire life. They passed a shop window that had a crowd of boys in front of it, who were all staring at a broomstick sitting on a purple cushion. Amber heard a boy whisper to his friend, "I heard it's the best ever! The new Silversaturn; even faster than the old Firebolts!"

"Don't get lost, Amber!" Professor Longbottom called back.

Amber quickened her pace to catch up with them. A few minutes later, they came upon a tall, white building that had the word Gringotts on the front.

"What's this place?" Amber asked the teacher as they walked up the steps.

"This is Gringotts, the Wizarding bank. We'll be able to exchange your money for Wizarding money here."

"Wow!" Amber gasped as they entered. There were short, pale faced little people running about here and there.

"These are goblins. Mind yourself in front of them," Professor Longbottom warned. He brought them over to one of the goblins. "We'd like to exchange some Muggle money, please."

The goblin nodded.

Amber's mother got out her purse and began putting some money on the counter. The goblin nodded again, counted up the money, and handed over ten gold coins, sixteen silver ones, and a whole bunch of little bronze ones inside a velvet bag.

"What are these?" Amber stared at the gold ones.

"The gold ones are Galleons. Those silver ones are called Sickles. And the little bronze ones are Knuts," Professor Longbottom replied. "I think we should head for Madam Malkin's first, so you can be fitted for your robes."

Mother and daughter followed the wizard through the crowd and into a shop. There were already a few people inside being fitted. A middle aged witch nodded at Amber. Professor Longbottom pushed Amber forward. Amber stepped up onto a stool, and the witch began to measure her with a floating tape measure.

A few minutes later, she was done being fitted. They paid for the robes and left the shop.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" her mother asked.

"Not at all," Amber smiled. "I kind of enjoyed it, actually."

Professor Longbottom laughed. "We should get your books now. Let's head for Flourish and Blotts."

They entered the bookstore, which was packed with people. Amber had never seen so many people in one store before. The reason came a few minutes later when Professor Longbottom heard a teenager whisper to her younger sister, "Harry Potter's here, in the store!"

"I forgot to mention I was expecting to meet some friends while we were here," Professor Longbottom smiled at Mrs. Hutchingson and Amber. "Harry Potter is one of them."

"Who's Harry Potter?" Amber whispered, afraid she would sound stupid if someone overheard.

"He's famous for killing You-Know-Who...I mean Voldemort. Would you like to meet him?" the teacher looked around. "Ah, I think I see him over there." He pointed toward where the crowd was thickest.

Amber wondered how the Professor could be friends with anyone famous for killing someone. The name Voldemort had made her shiver, but she didn't know why.

"Harry!" the Professor called, waving above the crowd.

"Neville?" the man in the middle of the crowd laughed. "Excuse me! Excuse me!" He pushed his way through the crowd to them. "How have you been? A little crazy in here, isn't it?"

Professor Longbottom and the man with the messy black hair, emerald green eyes, glasses, and a prominent, lightning shaped scar on his forehead shook hands briefly.

"Is this the girl you told me about?" the man looked at Amber and then at her mother.

"Yes. This is Amber Hutchingson, and her mother," Professor Longbottom introduced them. "This is Harry Potter. We were in the same year at Hogwarts."

"Pleasure meeting you. So, Neville, what have you been up to lately? Other than being Herbology teacher, I mean," Harry grinned.

"Nothing much, actually. I just got back from a trip to France with the family. What about you, Harry? What have you been up to lately?" the Professor wondered.

"Oh, well, since Voldemort is gone, the Aurors have been assigned to chase down hardened criminals. I'm head of the Auror department, at the moment. Ginny's off work for now," he grinned. "Pregnant again, if you'd believe it."

"How many is that now?" Neville chuckled.

"Just David, Kristal and the new baby coming soon," Harry smiled. "David's starting his first year this year."

"So is Phinidelus. He's rather excited about it. Where's the rest of your family, then?" Neville looked around the store.

"They went to get a snack at Florean's with the Weasleys," Harry motioned at the crowd that was standing around them, many of them pretending not to listen. "I'm here signing autographs." He pulled a face. "You going to say hello to the others, right?"

"That was my original plan, but we still need to get Amber her books," Professor Longbottom smiled at Amber.

Harry turned to looked at Amber. "Maybe I can help."

"Sure, thanks," Amber smiled, her cheeks burning a little.

With Harry's help, they had all of Amber's book and were out the door in ten minutes. They headed toward the shop Florean Fortesque's Ice Cream Parlor that Amber had noticed earlier. It was almost completely empty, except for a few families. Harry brought them over to where a brilliantly red headed woman was sitting with her son and daughter at one table. The lady's bulging stomach was only slightly noticeable. At three other tables sat a bushy haired lady with a red headed toddler in her lap, a man who was trying to get two twin boys with flame red hair to stop smearing each other with ice cream, and a whole crowd of other red headed children.

"Neville!" the pregnant lady broke into a wide smile.

"Hello, Ginny," Neville nodded to her.

The red haired man turned away from the twins. "Hey there, Neville."

"How's it going, Ron?" Professor Longbottom laughed as the bushy haired woman flicked her wand at the twins' ice creams. The ice creams vanished, and the twins started to whine loudly.

"As well as usual with all these darn kids around," the red haired man named Ron chuckled. He spotted Harry, who was walking over to the seat between Ginny and the dark haired boy who was talking animatedly to one of the red headed children. "Harry! Did you finally get away from handing out autographs?"

"All thanks to Neville," Harry replied as he sat down.

"Is that Amber?" the bushy haired lady asked, bouncing the burbling toddler on her lap.

"Yes. This is Amber Hutchingson and her mother," Professor Longbottom patted Amber's shoulder. "That's Hermione Weasley, the friend I told you about who is Muggleborn, too."

"You'll get used to everything quickly, don't worry," Hermione gave Amber a friendly smile.

Amber grinned sheepishly.

"Are you starting your first year, too?" the black haired boy with glasses called. He and the red head he'd been talking to were staring at her with wide grins.

Amber nodded.

"Well, it was nice seeing everyone, but I think it's time we went and got Amber the rest of her things," Neville said.

"Oh, but you just got here!" Ginny wiped dribbled ice cream off the chin of the red headed girl seated next to her. "Kristal, sit still!"

"Mum!" the girl batted at her mother's hands.

"Professor McGonagall wanted to make sure Amber got everything she needed," Professor Longbottom said. "It's my duty to see that she does."

Harry laughed. "Very noble sounding, Neville."

The Professor laughed, too. "We really should get going. Perhaps we can get together sometime soon?"

"That would be great," Hermione said as Ron gave one of the younger red headed children a tap on the head because the kid had just punched one of the twins. "Ronald!"

"What?" Ron cringed as Neville led Amber and her mother back out into Diagon Alley.

"Who were those people?" Amber's mother whispered hoarsely.

"The Potters and the Weasleys," the Professor chuckled. "Harry, Hermione, and Ron were friends during our years at Hogwarts. Hermione and Ron got married, and Harry married Ron's younger sister, Ginny. So, the three friends are related now. All of the red heads except for Kristal belong to Hermione and Ron."

Amber gaped. "There sure were a lot of them!"

"Yes. The Weasleys are well known for having a large bunch of kids," Neville laughed.

"Can we go get my wand next, Professor Longbottom?" Amber wondered.

"Sure, we'll head for Ollivander's. He makes the best."

The Hogwarts Professor brought them to an old store that was covered in dust. The shelves were full of long, thin boxes in all sorts of colors. An old man with too many wrinkles to count ambled out from the shadows.

"Ah, here to get your first wand?" the man smiled, showing hardly any teeth.

Amber nodded quickly.

He stepped up onto a ladder and brought a few boxes down. He opened one and handed the wand to Amber saying,

"Dragonheart string, cherry, seven inches, very sturdy."

Amber stared at him, not knowing what to do.

"Give it a wave, Amber," the Professor prompted.

Amber flicked the wand, and bright yellow sparks zoomed around the room in circles.

"Ah, no!" the wrinkled man took it from her and handed her another one. "Try this. Phoenix feather, redwood, eight and a half inches, lightweight with mild flexibility."

She waved it, but nothing happened.

"Nope." Once more the man pulled the wand from her fingers and handed her another.

It went this way for nearly fifteen minutes before the man pulled out one and paused. "Mmmm, yes. Try this one!" He handed it over, and Amber felt a tingling in her fingers that ran up to her elbow. "Unicorn hair, mahogany, ten and three quarter inches, quite bendable. Would be very useful for Transfiguration."

Amber waved the wand and silvery blue light spiraled outwards, twirling around like shooting stars.

"Yes, yes! Perfect!" the man took the wand, put it back in the box, and handed it over. "That will be one Galleon, three Sickles."

Amber handed over the money, and they left the store quietly. She had a feeling that she would be having quite a few adventures with this new unicorn hair wand. And suddenly, she couldn't wait to start school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Next, they went to get some Potion ingredients for her.

"We'll just get you some of the basic things you'll need. The Potions Professor usually provides you with anything you don't have." Neville let Amber wander the store as he went to tell the witch behind the counter which ingredients they needed.

Amber was looking at a barrel of beetle eyes when someone came up beside her.

"Hello. You a first year going to Hogwarts, too?"

Amber turned to see a pale, pointed face looking at her. The boy was only an inch taller than her, but the way he held himself made it seem like he was nearly a foot taller. His bright blonde eyebrows, which matched his sleek hair, rose as he waited for Amber to answer. The gray eyes set in his head were wide and calculating.

"Yes, I am," Amber gave him her best cheerful smile.

"I'm Garren Malfoy." The boy didn't return the smile.

"Amber Hutchingson." Amber stuck out her hand, but the boy ignored it.

"What House you think you'll be Sorted into?" he gave her a smirk.

"H...House?" Amber stammered as she pulled back her hand. Professor Longbottom hadn't said anything about "Houses."

The boy gave her another smirk. "You aren't Muggleborn are you?"

"Yes..." Amber blinked, wondering why he'd said "Muggleborn" in such a nasty tone.

"Figures," the boy sniffed loudly. He turned and walked away without even saying good-bye.

The Professor and her mother walked over.

"Who was that?" Neville wondered.

"He said his name was Garren Malfoy," Amber frowned.

"I should have guessed. He has that look about him," the Professor said with a shake of his head. "He didn't give you any trouble, did he?"

"No...but it sounded like he didn't like me," Amber said.

"If he was brought up the way his father was, then he wouldn't," Professor Neville told her with a calming smile. "The Malfoys are a pureblood family. They don't like Muggles, Squibs, Muggleborns, or what're called half-bloods. They all have an arrogance a mile long, and none of them are liked much. You shouldn't worry about him right now, though. Your mother has agreed to get you a pet."

Amber squealed happily.

When the three of them entered the emporium ten minutes later, an owl as black as night came swooping down from the shadowy ceiling. It's hoot was spectacular to hear, and Amber couldn't help but grin at it.

"Oy, you stupid owl!" the shopkeeper shuffled out of a back room. "I just can't get rid of him. Nobody wants to buy a crazed owl!"

The black owl glared down at them with its golden eyes.

"I'll take him, if you don't want him!" Amber watched as the owl turned its eyes toward her. "I think he's wonderful."

"Are you sure?" the shopkeeper looked surprised.

"Very sure! How much will he cost?" Amber held out her arm and the owl actually flew down to her without a sound.

The storekeeper laughed. "You can have him for free. I've been waiting ages for someone to take him. He doesn't much like being in a cage, just to warn you."

"He'll have to get used to it if Amber wants to take him to Hogwarts," Professor Longbottom commented.

The black owl hooted softly.

"I think he'll be happy enough in a cage, knowing he's going to Hogwarts," Amber grinned. "Can we buy a cage, then?"

"You can have a cage free, if you can get him in it without a fuss." The shopkeeper motioned at the shelves full of empty cages.

Amber grabbed a silver, metal cage with her other hand and opened the door.

"In you go, Twilight," she smiled.

The newly named owl stepped inside and ruffled his feathers in a dignified way. With one last glare at the shop owner, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

"Well, I'll be..." he shook his head. "He's taken to you, that owl has. Here, take a bag of owl treats, free. That's more than enough thanks for taking that crazed bird off my hands."

"Thank you!" Amber grinned.

They left the shop, Amber holding the cage tightly with her happiness.

"Owls are used to send letters, so you can use this guy to send letters to your family while you're away at Hogwarts," the Professor mentioned as they headed toward the last shop, where Amber would get the last few things on her list.

"I know. A tawny owl brought me my Hogwarts letter." Amber felt her cheeks burning, but it was not out of embarrassment. She knew that there would be no way to count how many times she had smiled today.

And she knew it wasn't the end of her happiness, either.

Amber and her mother returned home when it was nearly dark.

"I hope your father works late, so I can get dinner done," Amber's mother sighed, taking off her coat and hanging it in the front closet. "He'll ask too many questions, otherwise."

"Aren't you going to tell him we went to get my school things?" Amber asked curiously.

"Yes, but not today. He told me he wanted to have a peaceful time at home today, because he knew he was going to have a difficult day at work," Amber followed her mother into the kitchen. "I don't want to bother him with talk of your stran...of your school."

Amber had the feeling her mother had almost said something different, but she decided not to say anything. Taking Twilight, she headed for her room. She flicked on the light, and then placed Twilight's cage on her dresser.

"I don't think I should let you out, yet. My parents may not like it," Amber told the owl. She put a few owl treats into the cage and went over to her bed, where Professor Longbottom had magically put her things.

The conversation had been light at the end of their day's journey, when Professor Longbottom had said his job was done and that they could find their way home themselves. He had informed them that someone else would escort them to Platform 9 ¾ in King's Cross Station on September first. He wished them luck, and then disappeared into the Muggle crowd. Amber had felt sad to see him go.

_I wonder why mum is deliberately not telling dad where we were today?_ Amber rummaged through the packages. They had also bought her a large, black trunk to put all of her things into. She began unwrapping the paper around her packages, and neatly putting them into the trunk. _Mother must have a reason for not telling him. Could someone on mum's side of the family be a witch, or wizard?_ Amber shook this thought out of her head. That was impossible. But then again, her mother had acted suspiciously when Amber had received her letter.

Twilight hooted in his cage, having finished his owl treats.

"Sorry, I can't let you out. You might scare my parents," Amber told the owl apologetically. "I'm sure you'll be able to fly around whenever you want at Hogwarts."

Twilight hooted again, staring at her with a bored look.

Amber went back to putting her things in the trunk. When she came to the box with her wand inside, she paused. It was unusual to think that this thin piece of wood was anything special at all. Pulling out the lightly brown colored wand, she examined it from all angles before realizing that the old man had said it was unicorn hair. Did that mean that unicorns were real? Amber felt her heart flutter with a feeling she had never felt before in her life.

"Amber! Dinner is ready!" her mother called up toward her.

"Just a minute!" Amber swiftly put the wand back into its dark blue box and dropped the rest of the packages into her trunk. Putting it on the floor, she shoved it underneath her bed. _There, that way dad won't know it's there,_ Amber thought before speeding downstairs for dinner.

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**End of Chapter One**


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I do own any characters made up for the purpose of this story. Please do not use them.

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**Chapter Two**

_**New Friends on the Hogwarts Express**_

Exactly a week later, Amber was anxiously waiting in the living room for the person who would be there to escort her to the train station. She had been wondering about the train ride for a few days now, and had decided that for it to be a wizard train, it was probably concealed. This was a logical thought, seeing as Amber knew there was no evidence of a Platform 9 ¾, having ridden the train from Platform 10 to visit her grandparents in a city a few miles away.

Mrs. Hutchingson had finally told her husband about the shopping trip to Diagon Alley three days previously. He had been grateful she had not told him sooner; he was having a difficult time at work and was not very happy as of late. Luckily, it was a Saturday, so both of Amber's parents could come to say good-bye.

"Are you sure it's a train you'll be taking?" Mr. Hutchingson questioned his daughter as he walked into the room.

"I think so," Amber replied, glancing out the window.

"How are we going to get there?" Mrs. Hutchingson was clutching her purse as she walked into the living room behind her husband.

"I don't know," Amber tore her eyes from the window. "Professor Longbottom said that it would be someone else coming."

There was a rumbling outside. Amber sprung to her feet to look out the window. She was disappointed when the car pulled into the driveway of Number 4 and a portly man stepped out of the car, followed by a slender, horse-faced lady and a boy and a girl. It was just the old Dursleys' son and his family. A few seconds later, a baby blue car rolled up the street and stopped in front of the Hutchingsons' house. Amber squealed with excitement when a short, blonde haired man stepped out of the passenger's side and strode briskly toward their front door.

She flung the door open before the man could even knock. Grinning, she looked up into his face and asked, "Are you the guy taking us to the train station?"

"Yes," he replied with a short smile. "I'm Dennis Creevey."

"I'm Amber, and these are my parents!" Amber turned to look at them as they walked up behind her. "I'll go get Twilight's cage so we can put it in the car!"

"Car?" she heard her father say as she sped up the stairs and to her room.

Amber burst into her room and was about to grab Twilight's cage from her dresser when she heard an excited little voice coming through her window. Interested, she crept over to the open window to see what was going on. In Number 4, standing at the window of the room straight in front of Amber's, the boy and girl she had seen just minutes before were talking to each other about going to Hogwarts. Amber stood, rooted to the spot. Listening very closely, she caught what the little girl was saying.

"I wish I could go to Hogwarts! You're so lucky!"

"Better not let dad hear you saying that, Cindy," the boy snorted. "You know how much he hates me now."

"He doesn't hate you, Theo!" the girl answered.

"Theodore! Come on, or you'll be late!" Amber heard someone call.

"Amber, what's taking so long?" her own mother called up the stairs.

Snatching Twilight's cage from the dresser, she dashed down the stairs.

"Mum, the boy next door..." Amber began to say, but she was interrupted by Mr. Creevey.

"We'd better get going if you don't want to miss the train. Your trunk is already in the car, Amber."

Amber opened her mouth to speak again, but her mother stuffed her jacket into her arms and pushed her out the door. Once Mr. Hutchingson had locked the door behind them, they set off for the car. When Amber looked back over her shoulder, she saw that the boy, Theo, was with his father in the car. His father didn't look very happy, but Theo was just sitting there nonchalantly.

_I wonder why his father isn't happy he's a wizard?_ Amber thought. She got into the car with a gasp. At first she hadn't noticed the magical roominess of the seats, having been preoccupied looking at the Dursleys. Her mother and father got in beside her, and there was still room for at least three more people.

Not wanting to embarrass her parents, Amber said nothing and only smiled when Mr. Creevey got into the passenger seat, which could have fit two more people along with him. The car rumbled to life, and the man sitting behind the wheel pulled the car away from the house and down the street. She stole one last glance back at her home, and saw that the Dursleys' car was just now pulling out of the driveway.

_Maybe I can ask Theo about his parents when we're at school._ Amber smiled, turning back around. _He might like to know that a witch lives next door to his grandparents._

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Amber watched the scenery go by until they arrived at the train station. They piled out of the car, and Mr. Creevey went to get her trunk. He placed it on a trolley, and Amber put Twilight and his cage on top. With her father's help, she wheeled the trolley into the station. Mr. Creevey escorted them toward Platforms 9 and 10. Amber had a fleeting thought about where the Platform to Hogwarts was hidden before her parents were biding her a teary good-bye.

"Write to us as often as you can, and don't get in trouble!" Mrs. Hutchingson squeezed Amber tightly. "And don't get hurt!"

"Be good, Amber," her father simply told her, giving her a gentle hug.

"Bye, mum. Bye, dad. I'll write as soon as I get there," Amber assured them. "And I'll try not to get into trouble, or get hurt."

Her parents kissed her on the cheek, and then went off back to the car.

"Come on. I'm supposed to show you how to get onto the Platform. You'll have to get onto the train yourself," Mr. Creevey glanced around. He took hold of Amber's trolley and casually went over to the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. Amber followed.

"We just walk through this wall," he whispered to her.

"Walk _through_ it?" Amber asked with skepticism.

He nodded. "On my signal. Okay...now."

And Mr. Creevey slipped through the wall, Amber following. She gasped when she saw the Hogwarts Express. A giant clock, Amber saw, said it was five minutes until the train left. Mr. Creevey bade her good-bye, and disappeared back through the wall. Feeling rather lonely, she pushed her trolley forward into the crowd. Parents and children were saying good-bye to one another as the students clambered onto the train. Amber silently wished her parents had come onto the Platform with her.

Amber was barely able to get her trunk up onto the train by heaving it. She grunted, trying to get it further inside.

"Need some help?" a voice asked.

Amber jumped, and looked up to see the black haired kid she'd met in Diagon Alley. He grinned at her.

"Yes, thanks," Amber went back outside to grab Twilight.

"I'm David Potter," he said when she came back on with Twilight.

"I'm Amber Hutchingson," she replied.

"I know. Neville told us. Got an owl, huh?" David lifted one end of her trunk and began dragging it. "Would you like to come sit with me? I've already got a compartment. My parents dropped me off fifteen minutes early. Dad had to get to work."

Amber nodded. "Sure!"

The two of them heard whispering. David turned around and saw a group of twelve year old girls crowded around a compartment door. As soon as they saw him looking, they pushed one another inside. One of them squealed and slammed the door shut. Without so much as a roll of his eyes, David turned back and started dragging the trunk again.

A few minutes later, just as the train lurched into motion, David pulled open a compartment door and thrust Amber's heavy trunk inside. When Amber preceded after him, she found that the compartment wasn't empty. One of the red heads from the ice cream shop back in Diagon Alley was talking loudly – so loudly Amber was amazed she hadn't heard him outside – to a sandy blonde haired boy in the seat opposite him. The blonde boy was plump and reminded Amber of someone, but she couldn't place who at the moment.

"Hey, David! I was just telling Phil here about Uncle Fred and Uncle George's store," the red head pulled out a licorice wand and wiggled it.

"You trust them too much, Alex," David laughed. He and Amber put her trunk on an empty seat before David sat down next to Alex.

Amber stood on the last empty seat and put Twilight in the luggage rack.

"Hey, you're that girl, Amy, or whatever," Alex stated.

"Very observational, aren't you?" David grabbed the licorice wand from his cousin and ate half of it in one bite.

"Yeah, I am. This is Phil. Phil, this is my cousin, David, and Amy something-or-other," Alex snatched the rest of the licorice wand from David and tossed it up into the cage of a soft brown barn owl. The owl regarded it with disgust.

"My name is Amber Hutchingson," Amber stood up on the seat again and pulled the sticky candy out of the owl's cage. The owl hooted thankfully. "You better be nicer to your pet, or she won't send your mail for you."

Alex gaped at her, but David and Phil laughed.

As if to change the subject, Phil said, "My full name is Phinidelus Longbottom. And no one's called me 'Phil' before."

"You're Professor Longbottom's son?" Amber asked.

"Yeah. He told me I'd probably meet you," Phil replied with a smile.

Alex pulled a bag of jellybeans from his pocket. "Anyone want one?"

"No, thanks. I'm not very lucky with Bertie Bott's," Phil smiled sheepishly.

"What are they?" Amber inquired.

"Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans," Alex shoved the bag under her nose. "I've already eaten all the gross ones, so you don't need to worry."

Amber was about to take one when David snatched the bag from them both.

"Alex, you're nothing but a carrot-topped liar," David snapped. "He says that to everyone just to watch their faces when they get horseradish or boogie flavored ones."

Amber raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Alex growled. "They're gonna make you Prefect fifth year, Dave, if you keep that up."

"Mum and Dad would be happy," David jeered.

Alex stuck a hand into his pocket again and pulled out a clear bag of brightly multicolored toffees. "Oops, I'm saving those."

"What were they?" Amber wondered as he shoved them into a different pocket.

"Pieces from Skiving Snackboxes," Alex answered. "Used to get out of class."

"Why would you want to get out of class?" Amber watched as Alex started eating a black cake. "And what's that?"

"Mauldon make," Alex told her, his mouth full. "Ooo 'ant won?"

Amber wrinkled her nose at him.

Alex swallowed. "I guess that's a no."

"Stop it, Alex!" David laughed. "You're such a pig!"

"Am not!" he retorted, throwing his trash at David, who ignored him.

"The Skiving Snackboxes are for lazy people who don't want to worry about schoolwork. And these are called Cauldron Cakes," David spoke to Amber. "My cousin doesn't like to give straight answers."

"I do to!" Alex unwrapped another package and caught the little brown thing that hopped into the air.

"What's _that_?" Amber stared as Alex struggled to get the candy inside his mouth.

"_That_ is Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' version of a Chocolate Frog," David chuckled when the frog-shaped chocolate slipped from Alex's fingers and landed on Phil's head. "They're called You- Chocolate-Hogs. They're fun to try and eat because they'll do anything to stop you from getting them in your mouth."

"Wow," Amber whispered, watching as Alex pounced on Phil to try and grab the live candy.

"Where'd it go?" Alex demanded, looking left and right for his escaped candy while Phil tried to push him off.

"The luggage rack!" David shouted, pointing above the two boys.

The chocolate frog was waddling further into the darkness of the rack. Alex scrambled off Phil, and stood up on his seat to try and catch the elusive chocolate. The other three stood up to watch the hilarious sight.

"Here little frog. Come here!" Alex stuck his hand into the luggage rack. The frog jumped over it, flew in between two silver, metal bars, and _snap_, was gobbled up by Twilight.

David was laughing so hard he had to sit down. Phil was grinning crazily. Amber crossed her arms and looked at Twilight.

"That wasn't very nice, Twilight!" she told the bird sternly.

He hooted shrilly and ruffled his wings. Alex's barn owl screeched.

"Ruddy owl," Alex sighed, sitting back down.

David patted him on the back, still wiping tears from his eyes. "You might want to stick to regular Chocolate Frogs, mate."

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Later on the train ride, just as it was getting dark, the four of them were visited by an unfriendly person Amber recognized. The pointed face of Garren Malphoy sneered at her when he and three other first years, all of them bulky and muscular, entered the compartment.

"I should have known the Potty and Weasel boys would be with a Mudblood," he declared clamorously.

"Who're you?" David requested, standing up.

Alex looked like he was ready to punch Garren when Phil, looking panicked, grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Garren Malphoy," he smirked. "I'm surprised you didn't recognize me. I was so sure your father would have told you all about my father."

"Yeah, all about how he helped Dumbledore be murdered! But then again, your father was the one who was supposed to but was too much of a coward in the end!" David was throwing death glares at the young Malphoy.

Garren hissed. "Don't call my Dad a coward, Potty, or you'll regret it!"

"David!" Amber jumped up, blocking him from getting at Malphoy. "Stop!"

"But he called you a...a..._you know_!" David snarled viciously. "He deserves a good beating. His whole _family_ does!"

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" a kind voice interrupted the short silence.

"You watch yourself, _Potter_," Malphoy spat this last word before going off with his cronies.

Half-heartedly, David bought them some candy from the cart lady and they spent a few minutes of silence eating.

Amber looked down at her Pumpkin Pastie. "What exactly did he call me?"

"It's a really dirty word for someone who's Muggleborn. The whole wretched Malphoy family hates everyone who isn't pureblooded," David violently opened a Chocolate Frog and the candy hit the window with a dull thunk. "Whoops."

"Professor Longbottom said the same thing about the family when I met Garren," Amber muttered.

"You've met him before?" Alex looked up.

Amber nodded.

"That would explain how he knew you were Muggleborn," David opened another Chocolate Frog.

"If he ever says that word in front of me again, I'll punch his lights out. Or hex him so badly, it'll take months for them to figure him out. Or..."

"You're making it worse, Alex," David told him. "I can already see why my dad and Draco Malphoy were enemies."

"Who's Dumbledore?" Amber asked, remembering what David had said.

"Greatest wizard of all time," Alex smiled fondly. "He died before we were all born. My Dad says he was off his rocker, but Mum says he was more brilliant than you can imagine."

"My Dad saw him murdered," David cut in, a bitterness in his voice. "My Dad's teacher, Snape, who Dumbledore, above all others, trusted, betrayed Dumbledore in the end and murdered him. There is one curse so unforgivable...and Snape used it on Dumbledore..." he stopped. "We're almost there; we might want to get our robes on. I'll tell you the story another time."

Amber, feeling disappointed, closed her eyes to allow the boys to change before changing herself. The four of them occupied themselves at the window, trying to be the first one to see Hogwarts.

"I see it!" Amber cried a few minutes later. The sight of the castle was magnificent, and the moonlight from the nearly full moon made it even better. "It's beautiful!"

"I can't wait to find out what House I'm in," Alex grinned.

"House?" Amber blinked. She remembered David asking her about Houses back in Diagon Alley.

"There are four Houses you can be in at Hogwarts. Gryffindor is for the brave; Ravenclaw is for the smart; Hufflepuff for the kind and caring; and Slytherin for the people like the Malphoys," David counted off the Houses on his fingers. "I'm hoping for Gryffindor. It was the House my parents were in."

"Me, too!" Alex added.

The train began to slow down and they got all of their belongings so they could be taken up to the castle. Alex stuffed the rest of his candy inside his pockets just as the train jerked to a stop.

The four of them headed out of the compartment and outside into the crowd.

"Firs' years!" a loud, booming voice shouted above the commotion of students. "Firs' years! Over here!"

"It's Hagrid!" David's face lit up. Amber almost lost him in the throng of people as he darted over to the giant of a man. Alex, Amber, and Phil walked over to them.

"Hello, David!" Hagrid smiled. His beard was silvery white in places, along with his mane of scraggly hair. "Firs' years! Over here, please! Firs' years!"

A number of the students walked over to them, all looking scared. Amber saw Garren and his cronies walking over, arrogant looks on their faces. Malphoy smirked at Hagrid, a look of disgusted amusement replacing his arrogance.

"Alright, all the Firs' years here?" Hagrid peered down at them. "Righ' now, come on."

David talked happily with Hagrid as the giant brought them to the edge of a large lake. There were a number of boats floating in the water.

"Everybody in," Hagrid instructed, taking the biggest one for himself.

Phil clambered in first, and Amber jumped in behind him. David and Alex got in, though just barely; Alex almost over-turned the whole boat. Once all the new students were in the boats, they began gliding across the smooth, black surface of the lake. Amber watched with wide eyes as Hogwarts loomed closer, becoming even more magnificent the closer they got.

"It's greater than I imagined," David whispered over the quiet sound of the water lapping against the sides of the boats.

"I didn't even know what to expect," Amber whispered back.

It was a few minutes later when they scrambled out of the boats and onto a rocky shore. There was a splash, and a few people began laughing. David looked around to see that Malphoy and his friends were pointing and laughing the loudest at the girl who had fallen into the water. She had long, blonde hair; dark eyebrows; and slightly bulging eyes. Hagrid walked over to her and pulled her out of the water by the back of her robes.

"Don' worry. Professor Lovegood'll dry you when we get inside," Hagrid told her.

The girl squeaked. "She's my mum!"

"Is she, now?" Hagrid grinned through his beard. "Well, you've got nothin' ta worry 'bout. You're not the only one ta fall into the lake."

"I didn't fall," she stated. "Someone pushed me."

Hagrid did not hear this, as he was already walking up toward the entrance of the castle. Malphoy smirked at his friends, and Amber knew he was the one who had probably pushed the girl into the water.

As they followed Hagrid, Amber walked over to the girl.

"Hi, I'm Amber. Did you happen to see who pushed you?"

"No, they pushed me from behind, didn't they? If I had been them, I wouldn't have wanted me to see me, either," she looked up at the windows of the castle. Her large, misty eyes reflected the lights coming from them. "It's an awfully nice night out for Quintums, isn't it?"

"What?" Amber blinked in confusion.

"Quintums. They're tiny bugs that light up, trying to get you to follow them. They're much like hinkypunks, except for they fly," she pointed up at the sky. "They like nice, clear nights."

"There's no such thing as Quintumples!" Alex's voice hissed from behind them. "That's all fake stuff from the Quibbler!"

"You're Luna Lovegood's daughter, aren't you?" David asked, jabbing his elbow into Alex's side.

"Yes. You're Harry Potter's son." It was more a statement then a question. "I'm Lucy Lovegood-Ackerley. And you are Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger's son." Her last statement was directed at Alex, who was pulling a licorice wand apart.

"Yeah, so?" Alex tripped over a step as they began walking up the stairs to the entrance.

"Everyone knows they are the best friends of Harry Potter," Lucy blinked slowly at him. "I always thought that their children would be nice people."

Alex pocketed the licorice wand again. "Are you saying I'm not nice?"

"Gather round!" a crystal clear voice rang out. They had entered Hogwarts, and Amber gasped. She had been so busy listening to the conversation, she hadn't taken a good look around.

Hogwarts was as much a magic castle as she had imagined. There were gray stone walls, staircases here and there, a long corridor, and portraits with moving pictures that talked. It was completely empty, and Amber wondered for a moment why.

"Gather round!" the lady with the clear voice called, ushering them toward her.

"Professor, one of 'em fell in," Hagrid pointed out.

"Thank you, Hagrid," she smiled at him as he disappeared deeper into the castle. "Well, Lucy, I didn't expect you falling into the lake in such a short time." Professor Lovegood took out her wand and pointed it at Lucy's wet clothing. It was dry within a few minutes. "Now that that's taken care of, I would like to ask you to stay here for a moment so that the Sorting Hat can be set up. I will be back as soon as we're ready."

With that, she walked away.

The first years began muttering amongst themselves. Amber heard a girl with short cropped hair and tiny framed glasses comment on how she knew she was going to get into Slytherin. The boy she had been talking to, who was short and skinny with a bad case of freckles, said he hoped to be in Gryffindor. After that, the girl turned away from him and began talking to Malphoy.

Amber suddenly remembered about Theo, and looked around for him. She spotted him at the back of the group, leaning against the wall and looking surly. It was clear from the expression on his face that he really didn't want to be there. While Alex and David animatedly talked about something called Quidditch, she slipped through the students and went over to Theo.

"Hi, I'm Amber," she said with a happy smile.

He glanced up at her before turning away. "Go away. I don't want to talk to anyone."

Amber, not wanting to intrude too much, shrugged and went back to David and Alex, who were now talking about ghosts, just as Professor Lovegood came back.

"The Sorting Hat is ready to begin. Come along."

They trooped down the corridor behind her and entered into a grand hall. There were four, long tables lined up side by side. All of the older students, from second to seventh, were seated at these tables. A fifth table was placed along the wall facing them, and all of the teachers and staff were sitting there. Directly in front of this table stood a three legged stool with a tattered, wizard's hat upon it.

Professor Lovegood stopped them right in front of this stool and hat. Everyone in the hall seemed to be waiting for something to happen; and finally, something did.

A tear in the hat opened up, and the hat began to sing.

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**End of Chapter Two**


	3. Chapter Three

**Author's Notes**

Please forgive me for my lack in being able to write poetry. The Sorting Hat's song I wrote is not the best quality, but it works for me and for the story. Plus, I have done the Sorting a little different than JK Rowling does. She skips over people, but I went ahead and put in every first year student. So, this chapter is just about the Sorting and nothing else.

For everyone's information, I do realize that some of the characters from the original Harry Potter books that appear in this story have some personality changes. For me, it was somewhat difficult keeping the same personalities for some of characters. But, in my story, it has been twenty some years since Harry defeated Voldemort, so it's only natural that some of the characters are a little different than they were as kids.

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I do own any characters made up for the purpose of this story. Please do not use them.

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**Chapter Three**

_**The Sorting**_

"_In my younger days, when I was_

_just a plain, old hat_

_I was chosen to do what I do best, _

_and that, my dear students, _

_is to Sort you out from the rest._

_Will you go to Gryffindor,_

_for those who are as brave_

_as the lion, that mighty cat?_

_Will you go to Ravenclaw,_

_for those who are smart;_

_knowledge they love and crave?_

_Will you go to Hufflepuff,_

_those kind and caring, cheery _

_folks who treat us all the same?_

_Or will you go to Slytherin,_

_for those who are daring_

_to do the untame?_

_I can see inside your mind_

_to which House you belong._

_So try me on and let's_

_get this Sorting over with and done!_"

Professor Lovegood pulled a roll of parchment from her robes and unscrolled it. "When I call your name, you will come up here and sit on the stool. I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will join your classmates when the Hat has reached its decision.

"Addleton, Stephen!"

A rather tall, blonde haired boy walked forward. His face was creased with nervousness. Amber thought it was probably because he was the first one being Sorted.

Stephen sat on the stool and Professor Lovegood placed the Hat on his head. It slipped down over his eyes before it shouted,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

A table second from the left started to cheer, and the relieved Stephen went to join them.

"Applebee, Rebecca!"

There was a short hiccup from a mousy brown haired girl with glasses. She walked forward quickly, almost tripping herself in her haste. Professor Lovegood put the Hat on her. Her frightened, blue eyes disappeared. It took the Hat a little longer before it shouted,

"RAVENCLAW!"

This time, the table at the far left began bellowing. With another hiccup, Rebecca ran to join the Ravenclaws.

"Barber, Clayton!"

It was Malphoy's biggest cronie who was pushing himself through the crowd of first years. The Sorting Hat was on his forehead only a moment when it cried,

"SLYTHERIN!"

The Slytherin table was cheering the loudest as Clayton ambled over to join them. He reminded Amber of a big, hairless gorilla.

"Bergen, Mallory!"

A thin girl with her strawberry blonde hair up in a ruffled bun walked forward, her prominent chin held high. Professor Lovegood smiled at her as the Hat plopped onto her head. The Hat opened up its brim and screamed,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The last table, second from the right, hooted and hollered as Mallory flounced over to the table. She was patted on the back by another thin girl who had the same strawberry blonde hair.

"Brooks, Orville!"

A dusty brown haired boy with tattered robes walked up, his green eyes so wide the whites were showing all around his irises. Professor Lovegood set the Hat on his head. He heaved a giant sigh when the Hat called out,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Hufflepuffs clapped for him as he tottered over to their table.

"Bust, Harold!"

A dark brown haired boy with a long face and some robes that were too big for him stumbled up. His cheeks were a rosy pink when he sat down, and the Professor placed the Hat on his head. A few tense moments and the Hat shrieked,

"RAVENCLAW!"

With a happy smile, Harold staggered over to the Ravenclaw table.

"Caddlebrook, Joseph!"

He was Malphoy's smallest cronie, but he still managed to hiss at a few of the remaining first years on his way up. Amber couldn't have agreed less when Alex whispered, "Slytherin!" And, indeed, the Sorting Hat yelled,

"SLYTHERIN!"

An arrogant smile plastered on his face, Joseph Caddlebrook waltzed over to the reassuringly loud Slytherin table.

"Clark, Connie!"

A small, dark skinned girl with shoulder-length black hair skittishly walked up to the stool and sat down. With a short flop, the Sorting Hat sat itself on her head. It took what seemed forever, but was really only five seconds, to decide on,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Connie shuffled over to the clapping Gryffindors with a sheepish smile on her face. Amber couldn't help but notice how strange it was that the shy girl had been put in Gryffindor, when the Sorting Hat had said it was for the brave.

"Davencorp, Pamela!"

A slightly chubby girl with thin, blonde hair waddled up to the stool and sat down. She gave a giant grin before the Hat fell over her eyes. The Hat opened up, paused, and uttered,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Pamela giggled and shuffled over to the Hufflepuff table.

"Duke, Richard!"

A boy with greasy, black hair; sharp facial features; and icy, blue eyes glided up and seated himself on the stool. He gave a cruel smile that seemed directed at someone particular in the crowd of first years before the Hat dropped down over his chilling eyes. David squirmed, and Amber glanced at him to see his face was screwed up in a look of disgust. She was about to ask him if he was okay when the Sorting Hat called out,

"SLYTHERIN!"

The students at the Slytherin table were stomping their feet loudly when a woman with brown and silver hair, seated in the middle of the teacher's table, gave them a very meaningful glare. Once the noise died down, and Richard was seated at his table, Professor Lovegood continued.

"Durk, Anthony!"

There was a pause. One of the first years pushed forward a blonde haired boy with buck teeth. He grimaced and slowly sat down on the stool. There was another pause as the Sorting Hat pondered, then finally cried,

"RAVENCLAW!"

Anthony would have run off with the Hat still on his head if Professor Lovegood hadn't jerked it off just in time. He grinned back at her with a half-smile before joining the Ravenclaws at their table.

Professor Lovegood continued as if nothing had happened.

"Dursley, Theodore!"

Amber saw David's mouth fall open as Theodore went up to be Sorted. Alex didn't look too happy, either.

"What's wrong?" Amber whispered.

"The Dursleys are the ones who raised my Dad!" David hissed quietly.

Amber stared at him. "You're joking! That old lady and her fat husband..."

"You know the Dursleys?" David snapped, but they could not continue the conversation. The Sorting Hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Theodore walked over to the Gryffindor table.

"Flinn, Robert!"

The last of Malphoy's three cronies shambled up to the stool. Amber, who's mind was mostly on what she had just found out, silently knew that this boy would most likely be in Slytherin, too. And, of course, the Hat's voice called,

"SLYTHERIN!"

He yanked the Hat off, shoved it into Professor Lovegood's hands, and trotted over to the Slytherin table to join his friends, Clayton and Joseph.

"Harkingsburg, Samuel!"

A black haired boy with large, round ears walked up and sat down. He looked rather calm as the Sorting Hat was put on his head. He just shrugged when the Hat shouted,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

A jolt of adrenalin sped through Amber's body as she realized it was almost her turn. They were already at the H's!

"Hollister, Isabelle!"

A dark brown haired girl with cheery, hazel eyes skipped up to the stool and sat down. She smoothed out her robes as Professor Lovegood put the Hat on her head. A smile spread on her face when the Sorting Hat exclaimed,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Isabelle flounced over the the Gryffindors. A tall, red headed Gryffindor was pretending to roar and curling his fingers like they were claws. Amber saw Alex shake his head at him and she guessed it was probably one of the elder Weasley brothers.

"Howard, Elizabeth!"

A girl with frizzy, light brown hair walked up to the stool. She was muttering to herself, but Amber couldn't hear what she was saying. A few seconds later, the Hat bellowed,

"RAVENCLAW!"

Elizabeth, with a grateful smile, walked quickly over to the Ravenclaw table.

"Hudson, Julia!"

A girl with extremely curly, black hair and a small, button nose strode up to the stool and sat down. Professor Lovegood put the Hat on her head. Within seconds, the Hat was shouting,

"SLYTHERIN!"

Julia ran over to the Slytherin table with a wide grin on her face that showed her pearly, white teeth.

David suddenly nudged Amber in the ribs. Alex was looking at her with wide eyes. She realized, quite suddenly, why they were doing this, because Professor Lovegood called out,

"Hutchingson, Amber!"

Trying to swallow her nerves, Amber slowly walked to the stool and sat down. She took a deep breath when Professor Lovegood set the hat down on her head.

"_Aha...a Muggleborn, I see..._" a little voice in her head spoke. "_Well, you would be welcome in any of the Houses, except Slytherin..._" Amber let out her breath. "_Yes, yes, I know you're happy about that. Now, let me see...where shall I put you?_"

Amber bit her lip, thinking, _Please, I want to be somewhere where I can be with my friends!_

"_Loyalty shows bravery. Yes, I think you will do good in..._"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Amber gasped as Professor Lovegood whipped the Sorting Hat off her head. Alex and David both gave her wide grins when she looked back at them as she walked over to the Gryffindor table. The red head who had been roaring earlier patted her roughly on the back as she sat down. The other first year Gryffindors, Mallory, Connie, and Isabelle, all gave her fleeting smiles. Amber tried to get Theodore to look at her, but it was no use. Defeated, Amber turned back to watch the rest of the Sorting. There was still a fairly good amount of new students who needed to be Sorted.

"Jaspers, Henry!"

A boy with brilliantly green dyed hair went forward and sat on the stool. He cracked his knuckles as Professor Lovegood placed the Hat on his head. There was barely a moment's pause when the Hat screamed,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Henry went and joined the Hufflepuffs, where he was greeted cheerfully by who appeared to be his three older siblings, all of whom had brightly dyed hair.

"Lange, Kenneth!"

A boy with medium brown hair and a freckled nose went up and had the Sorting Hat put on his head. He seemed quite happy when the Hat decided,

"RAVENCLAW!"

Kenneth walked quickly to the Ravenclaw table and began talking with Rebecca Applebee.

"Lawrence, Roxanne!"

A surly girl with very dark red hair, it was more a maroon then red, pushed her way up to the front of the group and plopped down onto the stool. Amber knew the Hat's decision even before it yelled,

"SLYTHERIN!"

Roxanne punched Julia on the shoulder when she seated herself at the rowdy Slytherin table.

"Longbottom, Phinidelus!"

Amber put a hand to her mouth. She had been so wrapped up in where people were being Sorted that she'd forgotten they were already in the L's! Phil, who looked green until his father waved at him from the staff table, wobbled up to the stool and sat down. The Sorting Hat took only a few short seconds to declare,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Professor Longbottom was the clapping the loudest, a huge smile on his face, as Phil slowly trotted over to the Gryffindor table and took a seat beside Amber. She gave him a large grin, and he returned it before they set their attention on the Sorting again.

"Lovegood-Ackerley, Lucy!"

_I wonder what House Lucy will go into? _Amber thought to herself as Lucy sat down. It looked like her mother was whispering something in her ear as she set the Hat on her daughter's head. A few seconds later and the hat shouted,

"RAVENCLAW!"

Professor Lovegood beamed slightly, and Amber was convinced that Lucy was probably just Sorted into her mother's old House. The Professor gathered herself up before continuing.

"Macmillan, Susie!"

A girl with a long, blonde braid swiftly sat down on the stool. The Sorting Hat was placed on her head, and it shouted,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

There was an exceedingly happy grin on Susie's face as she zipped over the Hufflepuff table.

"Malphoy, Garren!"

Amber already knew which House Garren was going to be put in. He also seemed to know this as he walked up, a carefree look on his face. Her thoughts were cleared when the Sorting Hat screamed,

"SLYTHERIN!"

Garren slipped the Hat off his head and trotted over to the Slytherin table as if he were a show pony.

"Nettles, Mary!"

A sweet looking girl with French-braided, straw blonde hair stepped up and sat down on the stool. Amber saw a brief glimpse of crystal clear, blue eyes before they disappeared under the brim of the Sorting Hat. A millisecond later, the Hat called,

"RAVENCLAW!"

Mary was full of smiles as she marched over to the Ravenclaw table, where she began talking earnestly to Elizabeth Howard.

"Owens, Ophelia!"

The dark haired girl with small glasses Amber had heard saying earlier that she wanted to be in Slytherin paraded up to the stool and sat down. The Sorting Hat barely touched her forehead when it screamed,

"SLYTHERIN!"

Ophelia, a triumphant smile on her face, flounced over to join the Slytherins, who were all screaming again.

"Potter, David!"

A foreboding hush fell over the hall; even the Slytherins had stopped wailing. David walked up, trying hard to keep his head up and look like he wasn't nervous about this. Amber could tell from the way he was holding his shoulders that he was probably feeling even more nervous then she had been. He sat down and Professor Lovegood, a keen smile on her face, slowly put the Sorting Hat on his head. It seemed like an eternity before the Hat hollered,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindors all stood up and cheered the loudest yet. The teachers were politely clapping, along with the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. The Slytherins were looking quite scary; all of them were staring at David as he walked over to the Gryffindor table and took a seat across from Phil and Amber. David's face was a pale white, and Amber tried to cheer him up with a smile, but he just gave a feeble one back. Professor Lovegood broke the silence that had fallen.

"Pubb, Ashley!"

A girl with black and red streaked hair went forward to get Sorted. The Hat took a little longer this time, but finally screamed,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Ashley headed for the Hufflepuff table after a sigh of relief.

"Pulin, Leo!"

The short, skinny boy with the bad case of freckles, who had told Ophelia he wanted to be in Gryffindor, actually tripped in his haste to get to the stool. He picked himself up faster then a flying rubber band and plunked onto the stool, looking as if he wasn't embarrassed at all for having tripped. Professor Lovegood put the Hat on his head, and two seconds later it shouted,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Leo tripped again while running over to the Gryffindor table, and didn't seem to have any problem at all from the people laughing as he took a seat two places to David's right.

"Raport, Sally!"

A beefy girl with brown pigtails sat down on the stool. There was a nasty smirk on her face when the Sorting Hat was set on her forehead. Amber, who was getting good at telling who the Slytherins were, wasn't surprised when the Hat yelled,

"SLYTHERIN!"

Amber counted the last few people while Sally was sitting down. There were only seven people left to be Sorted, among them being Alex. Alex's face was a deepening green, which clashed badly with his hair. Amber crossed her fingers, hoping he would get into Gryffindor with the rest of them.

"Turner, Amelia!"

Amelia was a pleasant looking girl with slightly wavy, dark brown hair and twinkling brown eyes. She sat down on the stool with a quiet smile, and barely reacted when the Sorting Hat called out,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

_She was probably expecting to be placed in Hufflepuff,_ Amber thought silently while Amelia walked over to the Hufflepuff table.

"Vandell, Helen!"

The third to last girl who walked up had golden brown curls and robes that were sparkling clean. She sat down, carefully minding her robes. Professor Lovegood put the Hat on her head. They didn't have to wait long for the Sorting Hat to cry,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Helen sat three seats to Amber's left, next to a boy who had the same golden brown curls. Amber figured they had to be brother and sister.

"Walker, Frederick!"

The third to last boy was wearing a baseball cap from under which his blonde hair was peeking out. Professor Lovegood snatched the first hat from his head before putting the Sorting Hat on him. He looked quite bashful at the people who where chuckling about the baseball cap.

_I wonder if he's Muggleborn, like me?_ Amber couldn't help but marvel.

The Sorting Hat interrupted her thoughts again by shouting,

"RAVENCLAW!"

She saw that Alex was looking even more sick now, and she knew his turn was coming up very soon, or he would be next.

"Weasley, Alexander!"

Alex stumbled up and sat down, nearly missing the stool. The green was partially obscured by the rosy redness that was spreading over his cheeks. The Hat was put on his head, and a few aggravating seconds later, the Hat bellowed loudly,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Alex looked as if he couldn't be more relieved. His three brothers, Amber remembered their names being Zachary, Matthew, and Adam, greeted him boisterously by patting him on the back furiously before allowing him to sit next to David.

"Westmont, Fiona!"

Fiona was a buoyant looking girl with sunshine yellow hair pulled back into a ponytail. She gave a funny smile before her eyes disappeared underneath the Hat. It was only seconds later when the Hat declared,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Fiona waved wildly at everyone before taking her seat at the Hufflepuff table.

"Zepper, Sabrina!"

A black haired girl wearing heavy make-up stormed up to the stool. She looked predatory, even though Amber could now only see the lower part of her face, seeing as the Hat had slipped down. Amber had no doubts when the Hat whipped out,

"SLYTHERIN!"

She tore the Hat from her head, brushed a hand over her hair, and joined the once more noisy Slytherins.

The last boy, who had curly, black hair, looked like he was about to faint.

"Zimerman, Miles!"

He sat down on the stool, clearly shivering as Professor Lovegood placed the Hat on his head. With a final, clamoring cry that echoed across the hall, the Hat screamed,

"RAVENCLAW!"

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**End of Chapter Three**


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter. I do own any characters made up for the purpose of this story. Please do not use them.

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**Chapter Four**

_**A Message from Home**_

As soon as Miles was seated at the Ravenclaw table, Professor Lovegood took the Sorting Hat and stool and disappeared. She came back a few minutes later and sat down to the right of the stern lady with silver and brown hair, who stood up.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, first years. Welcome back, to all those students who are returning. I do not want to keep you waiting much longer for your dinner. Please, eat."

Amber gasped audibly when the plates and dishes on the table in front of her filled with food and drink. She was not the only one surprised, however. Frederick Walker, the boy with the baseball cap, nearly fell out of his seat with a loud yelp. Alex, who seemed to have known this was coming, began piling his plate with everything he could reach. David was a little more particular, and got only what he liked.

It was the most food Amber had seen in one place at one time in her entire life. Enthusiastic, she placed a little of almost everything so that she could try it.

David leaned over his plate toward Amber and whispered, "How do you know the Dursleys?"

Amber wiped some sauce from her mouth before whispering back, "They live next door to me. I've never liked them."

Alex was too busy eating to notice the two of them whispering. Phil, who was still trying to decide what he wanted, wasn't paying them any attention either.

"I don't know anyone who _does_ like them," David commented. "But I'm surprised Dudley allowed his own son to come here. My Dad used to drive him crazy with fake magic words and jokes like that."

"Theodore doesn't look all that happy to be here, actually," Amber mumbled sorrowfully. "I heard him and his sister in the bedroom in Number 4 that's across from mine, talking about how their father wasn't happy with Theodore coming to Hogwarts."

"Makes sense, doesn't it?" David stabbed a piece of potato with his fork. "Dudley would hate it if his own son was coming here and learning exactly what his cousin always threatened him with."

"Did your Dad live in the house with the Dursleys?" Amber wondered.

"For a while they made him live under the stairs," David grimaced at this. "But when my Dad started coming here, they allowed him to use Dudley's second bedroom."

"He had a second bedroom?" Amber took a sip of some iced pumpkin juice.

"He was spoiled for the longest time. And my Dad, he got treated like a piece of filth. It was worse when Dudley was put on a diet," David chuckled before drinking a few gulps of his own pumpkin juice. "I've actually never met that part of my family. It's basically just my mum's side of the family I see."

"I'm sorry," Amber told him. She knew both sides of her family. _But maybe not all of them_, a little voice whispered to her. _Mum could be hiding someone in her family that's a witch or wizard!_

"Pass me the green beans, please," Phil asked Amber. She grabbed the green beans and handed them to Phil. "Thanks!" he said, shoveling some onto his plate.

David was talking with Alex again about Quidditch. Curious, she asked what it was.

"Uh, oh. You've done it..." David covered his face with his hand.

"Quidditch is the greatest sport in the world!" Alex shouted, dropping his fork and knife and going into a full blown explanation of the game. Amber, who was never _that_ interested in sports, only heard a few of the more important details, such as there were players called Chasers, who scored; Beaters, who hit some sort of fast moving ball with bats; the Keeper, who tried to keep the opposite team from scoring; and the Seeker, who tried to find something called the Golden Snitch. By the time Alex was done, the desserts were already out on the tables.

Amber helped herself to everything that looked good. Her pants were a little tight when the foods all disappeared and the gray and brown haired lady, who Phil had said was Professor McGonagall, stood up once more.

"Now that you are all full, it is time for the announcements. To all new students, and a few who need reminding, all Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' products, and Zonko products are banned from school. A list of all the banned objects is attached to Mr. Filch's office door. Also, the Forbidden Forest is off limits to _all_ students. That is all, for now. Prefects, please escort the first years to your dormitories. Thank you, and good night."

The students all began to stand up, some of them stretching and many of them yawning. A tall, dark brown haired guy with glasses walked over to Amber and the other huddled first years.

"I'm Patrick Wood, a Gryffindor Prefect," he looked down at all of them. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you where the Gryffindor common room and dormitories are."

The group trooped through the hall after Patrick. David was walking quickly, so that he was close to Patrick. Amber heard him ask, "Are you related to Oliver Wood?"

"Yeah, he's my Dad," Patrick replied, stopping the group so a flock of third year Hufflepuffs could pass them.

"Harry Potter's my Dad," David added just as Amber and Alex came up behind him.

"That wouldn't have been too hard to guess," Patrick said. "My Dad has a few pictures of the Gryffindor Quidditch team when he was here. I'm Quidditch Captain, too. If you show some skill, Professor Wynn might allow you to play for the House team. Of course, there haven't been any first years to play on a House Quidditch team since your Dad was here."

"Who's Professor Wynn?" Alex asked.

"He's the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Head of Gryffindor. He's actually one of the lucky Defense teachers. Ever since You-Know-Who was destroyed, the teachers have been staying longer and longer. Of course, most of the teachers from our parents time have retired. Unless, well...unless they were...well, I'd rather not say," Patrick trailed off feebly.

Amber was spared a thought when Alex blurted, "They were killed, right?"

David nudged Alex hard in the ribs with his elbow.

"David, there's no need for that," Patrick told him sternly. "He was just saying what I couldn't...we're almost to the common room, anyway."

Amber looked around, surprised to find that she was in a new corridor and didn't recognize anything. "Uh..."

"Can't remember the way here?" Patrick laughed. "Don't worry, I'll show you around tomorrow morning. Here we go."

They stopped at a large painting of a fat lady in a pink dress. She was talking furiously with another lady. As soon as this second lady noticed the group, she said a hasty good-bye and sped away.

"Why did you have to interrupt?" the Fat Lady demanded to know. "We were having a very heated discussion about the best kinds of wine, until you barged in!"

"Apple dumpling," Patrick stated.

"Not until you say sorry for barging in!" the Fat Lady crossed her arms.

Patrick grumbled under his breath and was about to say he was sorry when a blonde haired fifth year came hurtling toward them. She stopped just in time to miss barreling into Leo Pulin.

"What's wrong, Stephanie?" Patrick wondered of her.

"The Sorting Hat's been stolen! Professor McGonagall wants everyone back into the Great Hall!" the girl put a hand over her mouth.

"Oh, my goodness!" the Fat Lady in the portrait exclaimed.

"Come on, let's hurry it up," Patrick shouted over the gasps of the first years.

They were rushing through the halls when Amber realized one of the first year Gryffindors was missing.

"David!" she hissed.

"What is it?"

"Theodore's missing!"

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The Heads of Houses made sure all of the students were there by checking their names off from role sheets. After all the chaos of trying to figure out who was there, and who wasn't, there were only five names left on the role sheets. Three of them, a group of Hufflepuff girls, showed up a few minutes later saying that they'd been in the restroom. A Slytherin seventh year then came in, saying he'd also been in the restroom. Right behind him came a Gryffindor sixth year Prefect who said she had been looking in the corridors to make sure everyone was in the Great Hall. The last of the names was Theodore Dursley, who still hadn't shown up.

"Do you really think Theodore is the one who stole the Hat?" Amber whispered to Alex, David, and Phil. They were sitting in a circle on cushions that had magically appeared in the Great Hall. The other students were huddled in groups, sitting on their own cushions.

"It's pretty suspicious," Alex took out the same licorice wand he'd been peeling apart while they'd been walking up to the entrance of Hogwarts.

"Why would he want to take the Sorting Hat?" Phil looked over at Professor McGonagall, who was deep in conversation with three other Professors.

"Because he's a prat, that's why," David replied. "He's probably got the same mind his Dad does. Dudley Dursley has always been a bully. Theodore probably thought the few things he's seen about Hogwarts were boring and decided to liven it up a bit."

"I don't know," Amber shook her head. "I can't see him doing that. He looked as if he wanted nothing to do with anything here."

Alex tied the licorice wand into a knot. "I think David's right. I wouldn't put it past the kid to think up a plan more dumb than stealing the Sorting Hat."

"Think what you will, but I'm pretty sure he didn't do it," Amber muttered.

"What do you think they're doing?" Phil was still looking at Professor McGonagall. There were now two other Professors with her, along with a Hufflepuff fifth year Prefect.

"They're probably looking for Theodore," David watched Alex struggle to try and tie the licorice wand into a slipknot.

There was a loud bang as the Great Hall door flung open, and a Professor came in, dragging Theodore by the arm. In his other hand, the Professor was holding the Sorting Hat.

Amber's mouth fell open at the sight. A wave of whispering started up. Alex and David looked at Amber, both of them giving her a I-told-you-so look. She ignored them.

The Professor pushed Theodore forward in front of Professor McGonagall, who surveyed his pale face through her glasses.

"I found him on the second floor, holding the Sorting Hat," the Professor handed the Hat over to Professor McGonagall. "He swears he had nothing to do with stealing the Hat."

"I d...didn't!" Theodore cried. "I found it on the f...floor!"

"I think he's lying, Madam," the Professor snorted, looking at Theodore with dark eyes.

"That is enough, Professor Zabini. Seeing as Theodore is in Professor Wynn's House, he will choose whether this boy is guilty, or innocent." Professor McGonagall rolled up the Sorting Hat. "Thank you, Professor Zabini."

David was staring at the Professor as he nodded and strode out of the room, his black cloak billowing softly behind him.

"What's wrong, Dave?" Alex said, pocketing the licorice wand.

"I know that name..." David bit his lip. "I think he was at school with our parents."

"Professor Zabini?" Alex looked over toward the doors the Professor had just exited through. "He might've..."

"Do you think Theodore will be punished badly, if Professor Wynn does find him guilty?" Amber was staring as a new male Professor, who she assumed to be Professor Wynn, put a hand on Theodore's shoulder and led him toward the door.

"They don't really tolerate stealing very well here," David yawned. "If he really is guilty, he'll probably get a couple of detentions, and lines, or something."

Amber sighed as the teachers began rounding up the students and telling them to head back to their dormitories. They headed over to the other Gryffindor first years. Patrick appeared a minute later, ready to lead them back.

"I think that was enough excitement for one night," Patrick commented as they walked up a flight of stairs.

Amber tried to pay attention to where they were going, but she was too tired. Now that the excitement had died down, she had finally realized just how tired she really was.

"Apple dumpling," Patrick told the Fat Lady.

The picture swung forward, and they crawled in after Patrick through the hole. Amber barely noticed the common room. Patrick pointed out which was the girls' and boys' dormitories before disappearing. David, Alex, and Phil mumbled sleepy good-nights as they headed up to their dormitory with Leo. Amber waved and followed Connie, Isabelle, Mallory, and Helen up the stairs to their own dormitory.

All of their possessions were already at the end of their beds. Amber clumsily changed into pajamas and slipped under the covers. She was asleep even before the other girls had bade her a good-night.

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The next morning was a Sunday, and Amber was glad that they didn't have classes. She wanted to get a feel for where everything was beforehand, so she wouldn't have to be late. When she walked down to the common room, it was to find David, Alex, and Phil sitting at one of the tables talking about Quidditch again. From what they were saying, Amber guessed that Alex had a dream during the night about Quidditch.

"...and then you caught the Snitch and I woke up!" Alex stated. "I was so sure we'd won, but I couldn't remember the score when I woke up!"

"Good morning," Amber interrupted.

Alex jumped. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry. Are we going down to breakfast?" Amber brushed some hair from her face.

"As soon as Patrick appears," David looked around at the empty common room. "We don't know if he's already gone down, or if he's still sleeping."

"Prefects are supposed to patrol the halls and look out for troublemakers. He's probably doing that now," Phil added.

"This early in the morning?" Amber questioned.

Phil only shrugged.

There were footsteps, and someone came down from the boys' dormitory. It was Patrick, along with a few other fifth year boys.

"Patrick!" David shouted.

Patrick started, looking around before spotting them at the table. He said something to his friends, a few of them laughed, and they headed out through the portrait hole. Patrick trotted over to them.

"Aren't Prefects supposed to be patrolling?" Phil asked the older boy.

"Uh, I kind of got a late start this morning," Patrick mumbled. "One of the guys thought it would be funny to slip a Sleeping Draught in my glass of water before I went to bed."

"That wasn't very nice," Amber said as Patrick pushed open the portrait and allowed them to pass through first.

"He did it for a laugh," Patrick informed them. "They all think it's funny I got to be Prefect."

"Why would it be funny?" Amber was confused. "Aren't you of higher importance now then they are?"

Patrick laughed, a cheerful face replacing the embarrassment that had been there before. "I never thought about it like that before. Huh, I think I'll mention that to them next time they try to pull off another one of their stunts..."

While Patrick led them to the Great Hall, Amber quietly followed, carefully remembering where certain paintings, or suits of armor were so that she could find her way back to the tower. When they got to the Great Hall, it was already full of students talking and reminiscing about their vacations. Amber noticed many of the students staring at David as they walked to the Gryffindor table. Once they were seated, Patrick left to go sit with his friends. Alex, a wild and happy look on his face, began filling his plate with everything he could reach.

David and Amber exchanged similar looks of laughter before piling food onto their own breakfast plates.

"What classes do you think you'll like the most?" Phil, who was still deciding what to eat, asked conversationally.

Alex laughed. His mouth was full of steaming scrambled eggs. "I want ike ow knee off um."

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," David began to cut up his own eggs with his knife and fork. "Quit talking with your mouth full, Alex."

"I don't know what the classes are," Amber reached over to grab the jug of milk.

"There are lots of different ones, but we're just given the basics right now," Phil explained, finally stacking some pancakes onto his plate. "Herbology will be my favorite."

"What kinds of classes are there?" Amber wondered aloud.

"Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms..." David counted each of them off on his fingers. "And then there are the classes we can sign up for in our third year. Muggle Studies, Arithmancy...Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes. Oh, I forgot about Astronomy."

Amber couldn't believe what she was hearing. There did sound like an awful lot of different classes to choose from. How in the world was she going to choose from them all?

"You forgot Divination, Dave," Alex took a swig of his pumpkin juice.

"I purposely did," David grinned. "I'm not even going to consider signing up for that one."

"What about History of Magic? We have that class this year," Phil interrupted.

"That class is boring. Why do they even bothering teaching it?" Alex grabbed a piece of toast and began slapping jam onto it.

"I don't think it'll be boring this year," David commented. "Not when we get to the part with my Dad."

Phil twitched, and his fork dribbled some of his scrambled egg into his lap. Frantically, he brushed it off, saying, "Will Professor Binns talk about that, you think?"

"He has to. It's history, isn't it?" David grabbed a piece of bacon off Alex's plate while he was reaching for the pumpkin juice jug.

"Can you consider something that happened just twenty years ago _history_? It's like it happened yesterday," Alex poured himself some more juice.

"I would," Amber stated. "Because it _didn't_ happen just yesterday."

"She's got a point," David laughed.

"Hey, who stole my bacon?" Alex demanded, patting his lap and looking underneath the table. "That was a good piece of bacon!"

"You didn't even take a bite out of it!" David cried.

"I was about to, before _you_ went and got your grimy hands on it!" Alex answered.

"Look! The mail is here!" Phil said, pointing.

Amber looked up from her breakfast to see hundreds of owls of all shapes and sizes come swooping through the windows. There were barn owls and tawny owls; huge owls and small owls the size of oranges; black owls, white owls, brown owls. Scanning the flock of owls, Amber's heart leaped when she saw Twilight dive-bombing toward her.

He landed beside her plate only a few seconds before Alex's barn owl. Twilight gave what seemed like a triumphant hoot before sticking his leg out at Amber. She untied the letter there, hoping it was her parents writing to ask how her first day was going. Twilight nibbled on some of her toast as she unfolded her letter. Alex took his letter from his barn owl and she spread her wings and disappeared. Twilight opened his own wings and took off after her.

"It's from Mum and Dad," Alex rolled his eyes.

"What's it say?" Phil questioned, untying something from the great horned owl perched in his lap.

"What do you think it says?" Alex tucked it away into his pocket. "The whole, 'Hope you are having a great first day! Keep out of trouble! Say hello to David!' Nothing much."

"Tell Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron I say hi," David chuckled.

Amber was too busy reading her letter to notice their discussion.

_**Dear Amber,**_

_**Your father and I cannot write to you. Do not ask questions. The neighbors are very suspicious of us. We will not be able to explain to anyone in the family about owls flying in and out of the house. Both of us hope you have a great school year. Be careful and don't get yourself into trouble.**_

**_Love, Mum_ **

David and Alex were in a heated discussion about the best Quidditch teams when Phil noticed Amber's somber frown and wrinkled forehead.

"What happened?" he asked, his blue-gray eyes glowing with worry. "What did the letter say?"

"I don't think my parents like me being a witch," Amber folded the letter.

Alex, who was going over something a Quidditch team called the Chudley Cannons had done, was paying no attention to what was going on between Phil and Amber. David, however, was ignoring Alex and giving Amber a indiscreet look of curiosity.

"What do you mean, your parents don't like it?" David twitched.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Alex shouted, glaring at David.

"My mum wrote me saying that she and my dad can't write any more. She said something about the neighbors being suspicious, and her not being able to explain owls to my family," Amber swirled the cold eggs on her plate with a fork.

"The neighbors she's talking about are probably the Dursleys," David suggested.

"How often do your family members go over to your house?" Phil inquired.

"Only on holidays, or for our birthdays," Amber bit her lip. "Which isn't that often, really. Normally, we get together at someone else's house."

"That doesn't make sense," David's forehead wrinkled. "Not being able to explain owls to your family isn't a very good excuse if the family is never over."

"What're we talking about?" Alex looked at all of them.

"You know, maybe if you weren't so into Quidditch, you would pay attention when someone is upset," Amber threw down her fork and stood up. "I'm going outside for a walk."

Amber felt satisfied by Alex's mystified look as she stormed out of the Great Hall. She headed for the front entrance, hoping she could find some peace and quiet outside to think over the letter.

"Hey, look who it is!"

Amber gasped and spun around quickly. Garren Malphoy was walking toward her, coming from the Great Hall. Two of his buddies, Joseph and Clayton, were flanking him on either side.

"Thinking of running away already, Mudblood?" Garren sneered. "Think you're not good enough for this place?"

"Oh, and you think you're fit to call yourself a wizard?" Amber snapped, surprising not only Garren and his friends, but herself included. "You think you're so high and mighty, even when people with less magic in their blood are ten times smarter than you!"

Garren's pale cheeks were becoming flushed. "You better watch what you say, Mudblood!"

"Calling me names only makes you dumber, Malphoy!" she growled, turning away.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Amber reacted instantly. She spun around, hair whipping her face, pulled out her wand and shouted, "Protego!"

The curse Malphoy had uttered bounced away from Amber and hit the wall beside them. Malphoy and his cronies stared at her, their mouths open.

"She's pretty good, huh Malphoy?" a new voice called.

Malphoy turned to see David, Alex, and Phil standing further up the corridor. David was in the lead, a wide grin on his face.

"I think she's got the making of another Hermione," David stated loudly. "And I should know. Hermione's my Aunt."

Malphoy hissed at them. "You'll pay, Mudblood!" he snarled at Amber before pushing past David, Alex, and Phil. Joseph and Clayton followed him, not wanting to be left behind.

As soon as the three bullies were gone, David looked at Amber with surprise.

"Where did you learn that?"

Amber shrugged, pocketing her wand again. "I was flipping through a book in Flourish and Blotts and I saw it. I thought it would be good to memorize. Then again, I didn't know that was exactly what I was supposed to do with the wand."

David laughed. "You keep that up and you'll definitely be like Hermione!"

"Professor Longbottom did say she was really smart, even though she was Muggleborn," Amber admitted this knowledge.

"Our parents were friends with Phil's dad," Alex said.

"My dad was a big help to Harry," Phil grinned sheepishly.

"That's an understatement," David snorted. "If your dad hadn't been there to help, we probably wouldn't be standing here right now."

Amber didn't feel like asking what they were talking about. Instead, she turned away from them and headed for the door.

"Hey! Where're you going?" Alex shouted.

"I said I was going outside for a walk, so I am," Amber replied without looking back.

She opened the door and walked outside. There were footsteps and the three boys followed her outside.

"You want to talk about it?" David asked.

Amber shrugged as she walked down the stone steps. "What's there to really talk about? My mother lied to me."

"Aren't you curious why?" Phil was staring at Amber with amazement.

Amber looked up at the blue sky. "Of course I am. I'd have to be mental not to be."

"What's the letter say?" Alex questioned.

Amber pulled the letter out and showed the three of them. They read it over quickly and their faces changed into identical looks of question.

"You know what I think?" Alex asked.

"Something stupid, I bet," David said.

"Someone made your mum write this letter," Alex actually ignored David's comment for once. "Or someone forged it."

"A professional forger, maybe," Amber glanced back at the letter. "I know it's my mum's writing."

"It could have been magically forged!" Alex argued.

"That's a pretty far-fetched idea, Alex," David shook his head. "Why would someone either force her mum to write this, or forge it themselves? It doesn't make sense."

"My mum acted pretty unusual when I got my Hogwarts letter," Amber informed them. "And she almost let something slip one time. I think she was going to say something about my strangeness, but instead she said school. She didn't want to tell my father we'd gone to Diagon Alley the day we went, either."

"That's really strange," David looked across the grounds of Hogwarts with his dark brown eyes. "Why wouldn't she want to tell your dad something that important?"

"Who knows? Maybe you should write back to her and ask her what's going on?" Alex recommended.

"That would just be stupid. The letter says they can't write any more, and _not to ask questions_. That's a big clue that they won't answer," David shook his head.

"Then what will we do?" Phil was looking at the letter with a look full of suspicion.

"Let's bring it to a teacher!" Alex made to swipe the letter, but Amber pulled it from his reach. "Maybe they can check to see if it's magically forged!"

"That's actually not a bad idea," David replied. "You think your dad would help us, Phil?"

"Yeah! I've been wanting to go have a talk with him, anyway," Phil was smiling widely now. "Come on, we can go to his office."

Phil led the way back inside the castle. They met very few people on the way there. Amber guessed that people were likely still eating breakfast, or in their common rooms.

A few minutes later, Phil was knocking on a door using the brass knocker shaped like a flower. The door opened to show Professor Longbottom with a pair of clippers in his hand.

"Phiny!" the father laughed. "What are you doing here? And Amber! I told Phinidelus he'd meet up with you. Hello David, it's nice to see you again. Alex, I believe one of your brothers was looking for you earlier."

"Uh, dad, we were wondering if you could help us?" Phil was blushing deeply.

Alex had made a choking noise when Professor Longbottom had cried out "Phiny!" David had jabbed his elbow into Alex's stomach to stop him.

"What's the matter?" Professor Longbottom looked each of them in the face, as if he thought one of them was hiding a problem.

Amber handed over the letter. "My owl brought this to me this morning, Professor. I'm not sure if it really is from my mum."

The Professor scanned the letter, his brow creasing deeper and deeper as he reread it twice over again. "This doesn't sound very motherly, that's clear. And how exactly could the neighbors be suspicious of anything?"

"We're not sure..." Amber was interrupted by David.

"Amber's family never goes to Amber's house except on holidays, or birthdays, so how could her mum say she couldn't explain owls to them if they're never there?"

"I think it's been magically forged!" Alex blurted seconds later.

"Perhaps you're thinking a little too far into this," Professor Longbottom told Alex. "I'll check this letter for any hidden magical properties it might have. I'm not that skilled with that sort of thing, unfortunately. If I cannot find anything, I'll have Professor Wynn look it over. Would you four like to come in for some tea, or anything?"

"No, thank you, Professor," Amber smiled. "I wanted to take a look around the castle before classes start."

"Alright. I'll let you know the news about your letter as soon as I can," the Professor looked at his son. "Do you want to stay and have some tea, Phiny?"

"Maybe tonight, dad," Phil smiled.

"I'll hold you to that," the Professor waved. "I better get back to pruning the Devil's Snare specimen. Good-bye."

He shut the door and Amber walked off down the corridor. The boys shuffled after her. Nobody asked where Amber was heading; it was clear she didn't want to be bothered yet. Once they were outside and striding toward the lake, David finally asked,

"What's really the matter, Amber?"

She stopped underneath a beech tree and sat down. Curling her legs up underneath her before answering, Amber took a deep breath and said,

"I'm beginning to think coming here was a bad idea."

Phil's mouth dropped open unexpectedly. Alex made a wheezing noise; he'd just swallowed a barely chewed Bertie Bott's jelly bean. David, nonetheless, gave Amber a stern look.

"Don't say that!" he told her angrily. "You've got it way easier than my dad! I know you barely know anything about him, but he had to endure way worse then Garren Malphoy and a suspicious letter!"

"What do you mean?" Amber couldn't say she wasn't curious.

"My dad was attacked by Voldemort more than three times during his time at Hogwarts! He saved the Sorcerer's Stone, he saved my mum in the Chamber of Secrets, and he saved his godfather from death when he was innocent! He saved my grandfather, and he saved Uncle Ron from being poisoned! He saved the entire world when he killed Voldemort! Not to mention all the other things he's done that I probably don't even know of!"

"Dave, I think that's enough," Alex was looking around. "You yell any louder and they'll send a Professor down here to shut you up."

"And stop shouting his name!" Phil whispered.

"Who's name?" Amber was confused. She didn't know what a Sorcerer's Stone was, or the Chamber of Secrets. Basically, she hadn't understood a single thing David had just said.

"Voldemort," David hissed.

Amber shivered. "Why is it so horrible to say his name?"

"Everyone feared him," Phil stated with a shiver of his own. "My father says his name, but never around me."

"Dumbledore never feared him!" David was seething. "And neither did my Dad!"

"And how do you know that?" Amber demanded.

"I...uh..." David stopped talking abruptly. "Okay, so maybe he did, but you'd have to be mental not to be!"

"Now you're saying Dumbledore was mental. I thought he was supposed to be the greatest wizard ever?" Amber looked at him coolly, even though David's face was flushing red.

"Dumbledore was the greatest wizard ever!" David growled, glowering at Alex. His red headed friend was rolling around on the ground with laughter.

"What's so funny?" Phil asked.

"Amber made Dave back down! You see how red he is?" Alex laughed again. "She's got a talent for making people speechless."

"I am not speechless!" David snarled.

"If you're so sure you aren't, then go ahead and continue your argument," Amber huffed at him.

David opened his mouth, his cheeks a blazing red now. "I forgot where I was at."

Alex slapped David on the back. "Admit it, Dave. She's defeated you."

"You would be wonderful at arguing," Phil complimented Amber.

"Um, thanks," Amber turned away from them and looked out across the lake. "Are you three sure I belong here?"

"If you didn't, then you wouldn't be here," David sat down beside her.

"He's right," Phil agreed with a nod.

"I know someone who shouldn't be here," Alex examined another Bertie Bott's and popped it into his mouth. He chewed a few times and spit it back out with a disgusted look on his face. "Bleh!"

"Who shouldn't be here?" David watched Alex with mild amusement.

"Garren Malphoy," Alex pulled out another jelly bean and looked closely at it. "Him and the rest of those people who think only pureblooded wizards should be taught magic."

"For once, Alex, you're actually right about something," David laughed.

"Hey, I'm right about stuff all the time!" Alex popped the jelly bean into his mouth, but didn't spit it out like he had the other one.

"Right, whatever you say, Alex," David looked over toward a cabin that sat close to a dark forest. "Should we go visit Hagrid?"

"Sure," Amber sighed, standing up. She knew she could think about her problems later, when no one would bother her.

"I still need to introduce you and Phil to him," David stood up, too.

Alex pushed himself to his feet while David helped Phil up. The four of them started off for the cabin, Amber walking slowly behind the three boys. David struck up a conversation about Hagrid and his insane love for magical animals until they reached the front door of the cabin.

With a fist, Alex banged on the door a few times. There was a booming bark inside a few seconds before the door swung open to reveal the vast Hagrid. Amber wondered silently why he was so large, but decided it might be rude to ask. He beamed down at them when he recognized David and Alex.

"David! Alex! How're you two? Come ter visit, have ya?" Hagrid chuckled as a large boar hound with a silver streaked coat slipped past him and contented himself with licking David's hands. "Met some friends already?"

"Yeah. This is Amber Hutchingson and Phil Longbottom," David introduced them.

"Neville's son?" Hagrid shook some of his shaggy hair from his beady eyes.

Phil nodded bashfully.

"Come in, have somethin' ter drink. I was jus' about ter put some tea on," Hagrid opened the door wider for them.

David led the way into the cabin, which was like no cabin Amber had ever seen. There was a huge bed in one corner, a fire pit, and a table with chairs placed all around it. Hagrid bustled over to a stove where a kettle and a pitcher of water were sitting.

"So, how's yer first day goin'?" Hagrid questioned them all as they took seats at the table.

The giant boar hound put his head in David's lap and began to drool lazily.

"Alright, I guess," David patted the dog's head. "Amber had a run in with Malphoy."

"Malphoy?" Hagrid turned around, the now full tea kettle in his hand.

"Malphoy's son, Garren. He was Sorted into Slytherin," Alex explained.

"Oh, righ'. I remember him. Pale hair, looked kinda like Draco Malphoy. He was pretty happy ter be put into Slytherin," Hagrid put the kettle down and turned the stove on.

"That's him," David nodded. "He tried to curse Amber."

"He didn't!"

"Yes, he did. But Amber blocked it!" Alex said excitedly. "She said she read it from a book in Flourish and Blotts."

Hagrid looked at Amber with curiosity. "It's amazin' Garren Malphoy could perform a curse, but bein' able ter block it, without any practice, or nothin'? And you just read it from a book?"

Amber shrugged. "It was defined there, in the book, and I thought it might be useful. But I didn't know I was supposed to use my wand to do it. I just...did it."

"You might wanna tell a teacher 'bout Malphoy attackin' you," Hagrid suggested. "And if you keep it up, we'll have 'nother Hermione around."

"That's what I said," David told him. "But that isn't the only thing."

"Wha' else happened?"

"Amber got a letter from her mum, saying her parents couldn't write to her because the neighbors were suspicious and they wouldn't be able to explain owls to her family. But what's weird is that Amber's family is rarely over at her house, so why would her parents have to explain anything to her family if they're never there?" David shook his head. "We took the letter to Phil's dad so he can check it and make sure it wasn't magically forged, or anything."

"Tha' is suspicious," Hagrid turned to the kettle as it began to whistle. He poured each of them a large cup and placed teabags in each of them. "Are yer parents Muggleborn, Amber?"

"Yes, both of them," Amber nodded.

"Maybe tha's why," Hagrid suggested.

"It still doesn't make sense! They were so interested before, weren't they?" David looked at Amber.

"Actually," Amber put her hands around the warm cup, "neither of them really seemed that interested. My mum asked me a few questions while we were in Diagon Alley getting my school things, but she never seemed...sincere about them. My dad, he barely said anything on the subject after the day I got my letter."

"I'm sure if you write to 'em, they'll explain it," Hagrid drank the rest of his tea with one gulp. "Well, I've got a few things I need to be doin'. The pumpkins need to be sprayed, and I've gotta go out into the forest to find a couple o' flobberworms for Professor Bones' class."

"Okay. Thanks for the tea, Hagrid. We'll come and visit you often," David stood up and the others followed.

They left Hagrid in the garden next to the tremendous pumpkins. He was bent over them, spraying them with something out of a silver can that had something written in bright blue scrawl on the side. Amber thought it looked almost comical.

"He didn't seem too worried about your parents, Amber," Phil stated hoarsely as they walked back up to the castle.

"Why would he be?" Alex kicked a stone across the path. "It's not like it's anything he needs to worry about."

"Yes, but it is something we need to worry about," David said heatedly. "If that letter wasn't forged, then we've got a mystery on our hands!"

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**End of Chapter Four**


	5. Chapter Five

**Author's Notes**

Things are starting to get a little more exciting for Amber and her friends! We also get to know David, Alex, and Phil a little better in this chapter. I like this chapter because we finally get the chance to know more about Theodore Dursley, and why he's been acting so sulky since he came to Hogwarts. (Phinidelus and Theodore are two of my favorite characters. I just love Phil's name!)

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter. I do own any characters made up for the purpose of this story. Please do not use them.

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**Chapter Five**

_**Theodore**_

The rest of the day passed by with much less mystery. Amber was very excited about exploring the books in the library. Unfortunately, they were only able to stay a few minutes because the librarian, a scary looking lady named Madam Pince, had made them leave when she saw Alex chewing on another licorice wand. After that, they'd explored the numerous corridors and floors of the castle. Amber had met the Gryffindor ghost, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, who was also called Nearly Headless Nick. They'd had a short conversation, though, because Peeves, the poltergeist, had come along and tried to pelt them with bits of chalk. Right after that, they headed to the Great Hall for a lunch of ham and turkey sandwiches before starting off to check out the Owlery, where the students' and school's owls were kept. The rest of their time before dinner was spent investigating the grounds, where they gleefully threw small stones at the Whomping Willow, a large tree that tried to pummel anyone that got too close to it. For dinner it was bowls of steamy soup and potatoes; and for dessert were cupcakes and strawberry tarts. Tired, and extremely full, the four of them tromped off to the Gryffindor common room to laugh and giggle over everything they'd done that day.

It was not until she was climbing into bed that Amber began, once more, to ponder on the letter her mother had sent. She barely heard Mallory loudly telling Isabelle about how she'd talked with Professor Longbottom and learned what plants they would be dealing with in the coming weeks. Amber paid no attention to Mallory's whining about not being able to start off with plants right away, but drifted into a half-sleep state where the words of the letter she'd received played constantly in her head. Once Amber finally fell into a deep slumber a few hours later, the strange dream stopped and was replaced by a quiet, fluttering feeling in her stomach, along with the vision of multicolored butterflies flying around her in erratic circles. When Amber woke up the next morning, she remembered nothing of her mother's voice repeating the words of the letter, but felt only a nauseating emotion of nervousness take hold of her. It lasted until she got down to the common room.

"Ready?" David grinned at her.

"Not really," Amber groaned.

Alex was peeling apart another licorice wand. Amber wondered where he got all the candy from, and why he was so obsessed with it. They started out through the portrait hole and headed for the Great Hall for breakfast.

"The Head of Gryffindor will pass out our schedules when we're done eating breakfast," David explained to Amber as they took their seats at the Gryffindor table. "And then we'll go get our stuff from the dormitories."

"I hope we have Herbology today," Phil stated excitedly, passing Connie the scrambled eggs. He still hadn't put anything on his plate.

"Of course you'd want Herbology today, your dad's the teacher!" Alex poured syrup over his pancakes with a hungry look in his eyes.

"Do you think Professor Longbottom will treat you differently, Phil?" Amber spread butter on her toast.

"Why would he do that?" Phil selected a plate of sausage and shoved a few pieces onto his plate. "I'm no different than you guys."

Alex snorted, and David rolled his eyes.

"He's your dad, Phil. Don't you think he'd treat you differently? He'll probably give you extra time on your homework, never call on you unless he knows you know the answer, and other stupid things like that," David stabbed a piece of sausage on his plate and waved it around dramatically. "He loves you, right? So, why wouldn't he give you a break?"

"Because it's wrong to favor students," Phil answered. "And my dad doesn't do things like that. He'll give me the same chance he'll give you and the other first years."

"I hope not," Alex said. "If you're as brilliant as your dad is in Herbology, I might want to...you know...have some help."

"Alex, if you're talking about copying..." Amber huffed quietly. "You'd better forget about it!"

"Besides Alex," David put in with a grin. "Your mum's one of the cleverest witches around. Who says you didn't get a bit of her brilliance?"

"My dad, that's who," Alex grumbled. "He and your dad were always copying mum's work. I'm probably as dumb as him."

"Mail's here," Phil interrupted before Alex could go on.

The owls swooped in overhead. Amber had a moment's flutter of excitement, but it died away rapidly. There would be no Twilight in the owls today. She had no one out there to write to her.

Alex's barn owl landed beside his plate, carrying a large and heavy looking package.

"What's that?" Phil stared.

"My usual order of candy from my Uncles' shop. I'm such a frequent customer, I get a discount," Alex gave the barn owl some toast. "Thanks, Jewel."

With a muffled hoot, the barn owl took off.

"Is that your owl, Amber?" David asked suddenly.

Amber turned her head. The air had cleared a few moments ago, after all the owls had delivered their packages and flown away. Yet, here was Twilight, his flying strangely lopsided and wavering.

"Something is wrong..." Amber whispered as Twilight landed on the table, falling over onto her plate of cold toast.

"He's bleeding!" Phil cried, pointing.

Twilight's left wing was torn close to his side. It was amazing he'd been able to fly.

"What do we do?" Amber asked, her voice hesitant.

"Phil, go get the Care of Magical Creatures Professor!" David said hurriedly.

Phil jumped to his feet and ran toward the staff table.

Few of the students had noticed the commotion. Connie, who had been sitting next to Phil, prodded Mallory beside her and pointed at Twilight. Mallory gaped for a moment and whispered to her neighbor. By the time Professor Bones was strolling over to them, the whole Great Hall was watching.

Twilight made a shrill noise when Professor Bones tried to touch him.

"Twilight, it's okay. She's here to help you," Amber crooned softly to the injured owl.

"What happened?" the Professor asked.

"I don't know. He wasn't supposed to be bringing me any mail. I haven't sent any mail to anyone, either..." Amber sniffed loudly. "He just came in all bloody like this!"

"Calm down, he'll be fine," the Professor gingerly picked Twilight up. "I'll make sure he's as good as new. He may have been attacked by a hawk, that's all."

"Thank you," Amber whimpered. She didn't know why, but something made her look up at the teachers' table. The Headmistress, seated in the middle of the table, was looking at her with a look of remembrance. Amber couldn't explain what the look meant, but she guessed the Headmistress was thinking about something significant. Amber watched Professor Bones walk out of the Great Hall with Twilight in her arms.

"He'll be okay, Amber," Phil told her, trying to keep his voice calm.

Amber looked at David and Alex. Alex was staring with his mouth open and a fork with a piece of pancake poised in front of his face. David, however, was giving her a look that was full of a much more recognizable and readable look; she knew that look of suspicion very well. He was about to say something when a wizard with frizzy, long, gray hair shouted, "Alright, excitement's over! Time to pass out the schedules!"

Alex practically inhaled the rest of his breakfast as the Professor passed them each a piece of parchment. The Professor seemed to be saving the older students for last, many of whom looked ill at ease.

"Here you are," he smiled, showing a set of pearly, white teeth Amber thought she had seen somewhere.

Amber glanced down at the parchment. She didn't quite understand what everything meant, and turned to David to ask.

"Brilliant, we've got Transfiguration first, and a double Charms, and then Defense Against the Dark Arts!" David was beaming.

"Brilliant?" Alex echoed. "Those are all the hard classes!"

"What's 'double Charms' mean?" Amber questioned.

"We've got two of them in a row," David responded. "Come on, let's go get our bags."

Amber, still thinking about Twilight, followed the boys back to the Gryffindor Tower. Connie, Helen, and Mallory were already in the dormitory. Helen and Mallory were fighting over something while Connie sat on her bed, looking a little put out.

"What's going on?" Amber demanded.

"Someone's stolen my best quill, and I think Helen's the one who did it!" Mallory hissed. "She looks like the perfect person!"

"Stop judging me! I would never steal anything!" Helen snapped at Mallory. She brushed some of her golden brown curls out of her eyes before continuing. "Besides, you've probably just lost it, or left it somewhere!"

"I didn't lose it, or leave it anywhere! It was right here in my bag!" Mallory screamed.

"What's going on in here?" a voice demanded from the doorway.

The girls turned to see a sixth year girl staring at them in surprise. She had brown hair and was regarding them with curious, blue eyes.

"She's stolen my quill!" Mallory pointed at Helen, who's face turned red.

"I did not! She's got no proof, but she keeps accusing me!" Helen crossed her arms defiantly.

"Do you need to shout at each other to figure this out?" the girl crossed her own arms. "Or should we go down to the common room and see if anyone there has seen it?"

"Yes!" Helen snorted, glaring at Mallory. "Thank you for stepping in...uh..."

"I'm Eileen Thatcher," the brown haired girl replied. "Now come on, or we're all going to be late!"

Amber grabbed her bag before following them down to the common room. David and the others looked anxious to get going. Amber jerked her head at Mallory and Helen to indicate why she had been held up. Eileen had stopped two second years passing by to ask them if they had seen a lost quill anywhere when Mallory suddenly screamed loudly.

"There it is! He's got it!"

Amber, who had been about to join her friends so they could leave, turned to look at who Mallory was pointing at.

Theodore Dursley had frozen in place. He was standing beside a table, his book bag over his shoulder and an eloquent, eagle feather quill in his hands.

"I didn't do anything!" Theodore cried.

"Hah! I've caught you in the act! You stole my quill!" Mallory rushed forward and snatched the quill from his hands. "I should have guessed it was you! You were the one who stole the Sorting Hat!"

"I didn't steal anything!" Theodore shouted, his face a glorious shade of red.

"Professor Zabini caught you with the Sorting Hat, and now I've caught you with my stolen quill! You're in big trouble! They don't tolerate stealing here!" Mallory waved the quill around.

"That's enough!" Eileen grabbed Mallory's arm. "Classes are going to start very soon. You can report this after class!"

Mallory opened her mouth to argue, but Amber was being dragged away by David, Phil, and Alex.

"We're going to be late!" Phil panted, his cheeks a chalky white.

"We'll just tell them we got lost," Alex replied.

"No! I'm not lying to any teachers!" Amber stated hotly. "If we are late, I'll tell the truth!"

David gave her an admirable smile.

They were not late to class, but came very close. The other students already had their books and wands out as they took the only seats left at the very front of the classroom. A lady with a small, pointed nose that reminded Amber of a beak walked into the room. Her shining black hair was frizzy, and streaked with reds, blues, and greens. Amber could not help but think of a bright colored bird when she looked at the Professor.

"Hello class, and welcome to Transfiguration!" the Professor said with a musical voice. "I'm Professor Avis and I'll be teaching you this year. First of all, are there any questions?"

It was at this point that Mallory walked into the room. A few seconds behind her was Helen. Professor Avis stared at them with a shocked face.

"Sorry, Professor," Helen rushed to the front of the class and handed the Professor a note.

Professor Avis read it over quickly and nodded. "Alright. You two can take those seats in the back."

The two girls moved to the back of the class, where two, dusty, broken chairs sat at a rickety table. Amber watched them. It was the first good look she had taken of the classroom, and she regretted it immediately. Garren Malphoy was sitting at a table, two tables back from them, with his cronies, Clayton, Joseph, and Robert. He smirked at her and she turned back around. It hadn't taken her very long to notice that it was only the Gryffindor and Slytherin first years in the class.

"As I was saying, are there any questions?" Professor Avis paused and spread her hands. "Are you quite sure? Well, I know you'll have questions by the end of the class. Now, open your books to page..."

Professor Avis was once more interrupted by a third student coming into the room. Amber thought Theodore looked thoroughly melancholy.

"I sure hope no more students are coming," Professor Avis commented, brandishing her wand through the air and producing another desk and chair. Both of them were nearly as beaten up as the chairs and desk Mallory and Helen had taken. "Can I continue now? Good. Please turn to page three of your textbooks and read the introduction."

Amber had already read all of her textbooks. She'd had nothing better to do during the week before she had gotten on the Hogwarts Express and come to Hogwarts. While the other students flipped pages, she raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss..." Professor Avis looked at her.

"Hutchingson," Amber smiled. "I've already read the introduction."

"Ah, well..." Professor Avis was clearly pleased. "You can start on Chapter One."

"I've read Chapter One, too. I've actually read the whole book, Professor," Amber smiled sheepishly.

David, who was sitting beside her, stared at Amber in surprise. The other students, except the Slytherins, all looked incredulous. Alex had his mouth hanging open.

"What a surprise!" Professor Avis interrupted the silence. "I'm pleased someone had the sense to read their textbook before coming to class! You'll have an advantage, Miss Hutchingson. Everyone, please begin reading the introduction. Miss Hutchingson, could you come up here, please?"

Amber stood and walked up to the Professor who reminded her so much of a bird. The teacher was scribbling something on a piece of parchment. Once she had finished with a flourished signature, Professor Avis gave Amber the parchment.

"Take this to the library. I've written down a book that might interest you," the Professor gave her a grin. "Just ask Madam Pince to help you."

"Thank you," Amber returned the smile politely.

"I assume you know the way from here?"

"Yes, Professor."

"I'll see you in a few minutes, then."

Amber hurried from the room, ignoring the glances she received from the other Gryffindors and the glares from the Slytherins. She quickened her pace even more once she was out in the corridor. She was just rounding the corner of a hall when a man popped up out of no where. Amber yelped in surprise.

"Where you going in such a hurry? You're supposed to be in class! Ditching on your first day?"

David and Alex had told Amber all about Argus Filch, the caretaker. They had seen him telling off a group of third year Slytherins yesterday.

"No, I'm not ditching," Amber held up her parchment. "My teacher gave me a note to get a book from the library."

He read the note, eyes moving across the paper jaggedly, and sniffed loudly. "Fine, just fine. Go on, stop wasting my time." And he shuffled off down the hall.

Amber raced the rest of the way to the library. At the door, she gave herself a moment to catch her breath before going inside.

Madam Pince eyed Amber like a vulture as she walked up to the desk.

"You're the one with the disrespectful candy boy yesterday," Madam Pince mumbled as Amber passed her the note. She read it and looked up. "You had better have a better regard for books than your friend."

"I do, Madam Pince. I love books, and reading. That's all I used to do before I found out I was a witch. I've been so busy lately, though, I haven't had much time to read," Amber smiled, trying to be friendly. "I was really disappointed I didn't get to explore the library before you kicked us out yesterday."

"Hmm. You do look like the kind who reads. Wait here so I can get this book."

Amber waited patiently. She looked around the library, taking in the shelves and tables. Madam Pince returned with a thick book in her arms.

"Here you are," the elderly witch passed her the book.

"Thank you. I'll take good care of it," Amber waved and left the library.

When she returned to class, the others were still reading the introduction.

Professor Avis looked up and smiled at her. "Excellent. You can begin reading that book instead."

Amber nodded and sat down. David glanced at her, but Alex and Phil continued reading. She opened to the first page of her new book, _Transfiguration: A Study of Transmutation_, and dove into the pages.

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After class, Amber hefted her bag onto her shoulder. She crossed her arms over the Transfiguration book, as if she were trying to protect it from someone who wanted to destroy it. David had a look of urgency on his face, but Amber wasn't quite sure of his motive because he was packing his things into his bag very slowly.

"Hurry up, David!" Alex was standing by the doorway impatiently.

David lifted the bag onto his shoulder and headed for the door. Phil had already gone ahead; he said he'd wanted to talk to Professor Lovegood, who was the Charms teacher, a few minutes ahead of class. Amber followed David and Alex down the hall and toward the Gryffindor Tower. David still looked eager about something and Amber dismissed it as excitement for Charms class. They were almost to the common room when Amber glimpsed Theodore being led in the opposite direction by Professor Wynn. Theodore gave Amber a somber look as he and the Professor passed. David and Alex didn't seem to notice. The two of them were whispering about something.

"Where do you think the Professor is taking him?" Amber questioned softly, looking over her shoulder when they reached the picture of the Fat Lady.

"Apple dumpling," David said, ignoring Amber's question.

They climbed through the portrait hole. Amber headed for the girls' dormitory to get her Charms book, the boys heading off to the boys' dormitory. She found Connie already in the room, putting her hair into a short ponytail.

"Hi," Amber smiled, rummaging through her trunk and bringing out her Charms book.

"Hello," Connie put her hairbrush back on the table beside her bed. "Do you think Theodore stole Mallory's quill? He seemed very shocked when she accused him."

Amber opened her mouth to answer, but Mallory chose that moment to come traipsing into the room. There was a triumphant grin on her face.

"Professor Wynn is taking him to the Headmistress!" Mallory explained her joyfulness. "First the Sorting Hat, and now this! Oh, he'll be expelled for sure!"

Amber got very irritated quickly and the annoyance only grew as Mallory continued.

"I can't see how he likes stealing so much. He'll never be allowed back into another magical school again after this!" Mallory began moving her possessions around, looking for something. "I'll be glad to get rid of him. He didn't look much like a nice person, anyway. Sulking around, trying to get attention by stealing things. Probably has no love at home..."

That was the final straw. Amber slammed her book down on the bedside table Mallory was looking through. Mallory jumped and looked up with surprised, blue eyes.

"You're one of those people who judges before they get to know someone!" Amber hissed, a savage look in her hazel eyes. "You just suppose he really meant to steal those things! You think he's just a stinking dirt rag that you'll be glad to be rid of! And don't you go pondering on his family life! I live right next door to him, and I saw how his father regarded him when he was taking him to the train station! Theodore may just have been in the wrong place at the wrong time! But you can think of nothing else except him being expelled!"

Mallory's mouth had fallen open. There was a intake of breath at the doorway. Amber, Mallory, and Connie looked to see that Helen and Isabelle were watching them. The two girls were staring with wide, perplexed faces at Amber.

"Amber! What's taking so long up there?" David's voice shouted up the stairs.

Amber paused before grabbing her book and pushing her way past Helen and Isabelle. She rushed down the stairs and didn't answer David and Alex's questions until they'd gotten two corridors away.

"Mallory was talking bad about Theodore! We can't even be sure he did steal anything!" Amber rubbed her hands together, trying to get her agitation to fade somehow. "She was standing there, saying how she'd be happy if he were expelled! How he probably had no love at home! I can't believe the nerve she..."

"Amber?" David stopped her by grabbing her elbow.

She halted, her bag swinging violently. "What is it?"

"Why didn't you tell us you'd read the Transfiguration textbook before class?" Alex demanded.

"Or were you just trying to get out of reading?" David added.

Amber's irritation fluttered and disappeared. She felt her face falling at the accusation in David's voice.

"I wasn't trying to get out of reading. I'm an avid reader. That's what I do...what I've always done. I read the Transfiguration book, along with all the other textbooks, the week before September first. I had nothing better to do," Amber took a deep breath. "The truth is, I didn't have any friends before coming here. Everyone thought of me as too strange to be friends with."

The boys glanced at one another. David began walking again and the other two followed him. They were silent for a few minutes as they headed for class.

"You're so much like Aunt Hermione, it's scary," David said, trying to sound humorous. "She read all of the textbooks, too. She was the cleverest witch of her age."

"What has that got to do with me?" Amber questioned silently.

"You heard what Professor Avis said. You'll have an advantage over us," David gave a lopsided grin. "Aunt Hermione was always answering questions. She earned an innumerable amount of House points for answering the teachers' questions correctly."

"What are House points?" Amber wondered.

"Each House gets a number of points. You do good stuff, you earn points. You do bad stuff, you lose points. Whoever has the most amount of House points at the end of the year gets the House Cup," David explained just as they came upon the classroom. Their classmates were all waiting outside, so they joined them. It looked like they would be having this class with the Ravenclaws.

"Hey, David. How many licorice wands you wanna bet that Professor Avis is an Animagus?" Alex asked conversationally.

"Four. I'll add three more to that by saying she transforms into a bird," David grinned.

Alex grinned back. "You've got a deal!"

Amber watched the two of them in fascination as they did a very strange handshake that included wiggling their fingers at one another. When David saw her confused look, he explained.

"We saw something of it on a television show at my house. It was something some American person did," David nudged Alex. "We decided it'd make a great bet sealer."

"You have television?" Amber was surprised to find out. "I can't see many wizards, or witches with televisions."

"If they live with Muggles, you see it all the time," Alex commented just as the classroom door opened.

"What are you all standing out here for?" Professor Lovegood looked around at them all.

"The door was locked, Professor," a Ravenclaw named Mary Nettles, who had straw blonde hair, declared.

"I hope no one out here locked it by accident? That would have been a foolish thing to do," Professor Lovegood ushered them inside. Phil was already seated near the front, reading what looked like a pamphlet. Amber, David, and Alex went to join him.

He started when he saw them sitting down, and hurriedly stowed the pamphlet away into his bag. Amber was only vaguely interested, but Alex demanded to know what it was.

"Nothing," Phil answered, tugging his wand out of his bag and putting it beside his copy of _A Standard Book of Spells Grade 1_.

"You're lying. I can tell because you're blinking too much," Alex tried to swipe at the bag, but Amber smacked his hand away.

"Leave Phil alone. If he doesn't want you to know, then don't pester him," Amber sat down beside Phil and opened up her own bag.

Professor Lovegood was writing something on the blackboard with her wand as the students took out their books and wands. The Professor turned back around and lowered her wand.

"Who can tell me the simple spell to disarm an opponent?" Professor Lovegood looked around. "Anyone?"

Amber glanced over her shoulder to see that no one else seemed to be raising their hands. Deciding to take a chance, Amber raised her hand. David and Alex exchanged knowing looks beside her, which she ignored.

"Miss..."

"Hutchingson. The disarming spell is Expelliarmus," Amber stated clearly.

"Very good. Can anyone tell me the exact affect of Expelliarmus?"

Once again, no one seemed to know the answer, or rather, did not want to reply. Amber quickly raised her hand.

"Miss Hutchingson?"

"It makes your foe's wand fly out of their hand," Amber lowered her hand. "But it can be blocked easily by a shield charm."

Professor Lovegood's dark eyebrows rose. "Excellent. Five points to Gryffindor. Now, who can tell me when Expelliarmus would be useful?"

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Lunch time came around, and Amber followed the boys to the Great Hall for a hearty meal. They met up with Alex's older brother, Matthew, who clapped Alex on the back and asked him how his day was going. Alex only mumbled that he'd wanted the lesser classes today, rather than all of the hard ones.

"It can't be that bad! I heard they caught a kid who stole someone's quill. I also heard it was the same guy who snitched the Sorting Hat," Matt shook his head. "Adam admires the kid for his guts. Adam's not stupid enough to steal, you know. Gotta go, I just saw my best friend leaving."

Amber put her sandwich down. She didn't feel much like eating any longer. Her mind just wouldn't let the subject of Theodore go. Had he really stolen the Sorting Hat and Mallory's quill, or had he just been very unlucky and been in the wrong place at the wrong time?

"What's wrong?" David nudged her foot under the table.

She looked across at him. "Theodore doesn't seem like the type to steal, David. He just seemed so sincere when he said he wasn't the one who stole the Sorting Hat. And the look on his face when Mallory accused him of stealing her quill. He could have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time!"

"Yeah, that's happened too many times to my dad," David took another sandwich.

"How could the kid be so unlucky to be accused of stealing twice in two days?" Alex poured himself more iced pumpkin juice.

"He looked so sad when Professor Wynn was taking him away," Amber wiped her fingers on her napkin. "I hope they don't expel him."

"They probably have ways to tell if he's lying, or not," Phil put in. "They'll probably just give him a warning, and a detention this time. If it keeps being a problem..." Phil didn't finish because Amber was looking at him with a passionate anger that clearly meant she didn't want him to end his sentence. He went back to his sandwich with a guilty look.

"Why're you sticking up for him, anyway, Amber?" Alex inquired. "It's not like he's very friendly with any of us."

Amber stared at him with the same passionate anger. "Because, _Alexander_, I saw the way his father treated him, as if he were a nasty, trouble making boy who doesn't deserve a loving family, or a roof over his head. And I'm sorry if you don't feel the same way that I do about him. Theodore and I are both Muggleborns, and right now he's probably feeling much more left out and like he doesn't belong here than I am! I'm going to the common room. I don't feel very hungry anymore." With that, she stood up and stormed away. Just before getting out of earshot, she heard David comment,

"She's more like your mum than we thought, Alex."

For some reason, it made Amber smile slightly.

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Amber sat in the common room, staring out the window and thinking about all that had happened since she'd come to Hogwarts. She had met three really great guys who she knew would be her friends for a long time to come; she'd stood up to a bully and done her first spell in the process; she'd been handed a mystery by her own parents and her owl had been injured; and she was trying to stick up for someone who was thought guilty of something she was sure he was innocent of. Heaving a sigh, Amber took her wand out of an inside pocket of her black school robes. It was amazing to her that she was able to do such wondrous things with what she once would have considered just a stick. How far had she come, in just two days of being here, from that shy, friendless Muggle who hadn't known what was in store for her?

There was a creak and Amber looked up to see someone climbing through the portrait hole. She just had to see the blonde hair to know that it was Theodore. He didn't seem to notice her as he stood there. He was mumbling something to himself, and it sounded like he was saying, "Shouldn't have come here. Should've refused. But dad'll kill me if I get expelled. Even if he hates this place...he never even told me I was related to someone famous..."

Amber thought it wasn't polite to eavesdrop on him, so she stood to let him know she was there. He jumped and stumbled backwards.

"I'm sorry! I must of dozed off! I didn't realize someone was in here," Amber swiftly tucked her wand back into her robes.

"You just scare...I mean...you startled me," Theodore wiped a sleeve across his face. "What're you doing here, anyway? I thought everybody'd be eating lunch."

Amber entwined her fingers behind her back. "Well, I kind of lost my appetite. Mallory wasn't very happy with you."

"I didn't steal that quill!" Theodore snapped. "I'd just found it on the table when she started yelling and pointing at me. I was thinking about asking around to see if it belonged to anybody."

"I believe you," Amber interrupted before he could continue. "And I believe you about the Sorting Hat, too. You looked too sincere to have been lying about stealing. I told Mallory off for talking bad about you."

Theodore looked confused for a moment before looking away. "Why would you do that?"

"I guess you never realized your grandparents had neighbors?" Amber tried to be polite with him. "I saw your dad talking to you on the way to the train station."

Theodore winced visibly. "You saw him yelling?"

"I also heard you talking to your sister in the room upstairs," Amber admitted. "And David told me that his dad used to live with your grandparents."

Theodore finally looked at her. "That room we were in...that's the same room Harry Potter slept in during his summers away from school. I never knew that until I got my letter."

Amber was only slightly surprised. "How come you seem so distant from everyone? I tried to be nice to you the day we got here, but you didn't want to have anything to do with me."

"You're a witch. And I thought...maybe if I distanced myself from everyone here...my dad wouldn't have such a problem with me coming here," Theodore whispered. "I've got two parents that have nothing to do with magic. How could anyone with all magic families want to be my friend?"

Amber raised her eyebrows. "You're a wizard, no matter what anyone says. All of us here have magical abilities; we're all wizards and witches. But you aren't the only one with Muggle parents. I'm Muggleborn, too. And there must be lots of other students who have at least one Muggle parent. Only the Slytherins worry about what kind of blood is running through us. How could they be so specific about what they want in a friend? Besides, I want to be your friend."

Theodore looked quite shocked. "I...never thought about it...that way."

Amber smiled. "Glad I made you realize something. Your father should love you for who you are and what you can do. He shouldn't hate you for being able to do something he could only dream of doing. Most of all, what he thinks of you shouldn't shape what you think of yourself. If you're proud to be who, and what, you are, then that should be good enough for him."

A slow smile spread itself on Theodore's face. "That makes sense. I shouldn't have to follow his rules when he's hundreds of miles away."

Amber shook her head. "That's not exactly what I meant, but close enough."

"Thanks, uh...I don't even know your name," Theodore blushed.

"Amber Hutchingson."

"I'm Theodore Dursley. All my friends at my other school called me Theo."

"Pleased to meet you, Theo," Amber smiled.

"You too, Amber," Theo smiled back.

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**End of Chapter Five**


	6. Chapter Six

**Author's Notes**

There's finally some real action in this chapter! I regret that I didn't realize until afterwards that David's ability to see the future in his dreams doesn't come up again later in this story. That was a silly mistake, but I think I can fix it by adding David having more predicting dreams in one of the next six stories. Please review!!! I want to know what people think of the story!!!

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Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do own any characters made up for the purpose of this story. Please do not use them.

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**Chapter Six**

_**A Memory in the Shape of a Dream**_

David and Alex only looked somewhat startled when Amber and Theodore walked into the second Charms class together. Theo and Amber had been talking about her having read all of the textbooks, which he had thought was quite an accomplishment. Phil didn't notice them; he was flipping through his Charms book. All the other students who were already in class acknowledged they noticed the two of them. Amber saw two Ravenclaw girls, Rebecca Applebee and Elizabeth Howard, whispering urgently to one another and glancing at Theo. Anthony Durk and Kenneth Lange were staring at Amber, as if they thought she was going to throw daggers at them. Lucy Lovegood-Ackerley, on the other hand, was smiling at them pleasantly.

"Alright, class. Since we were on the subject of Expelliarmus, we are going to begin practicing now. Write down what I've written on the board and make note of the specific wand movements required." Professor Lovegood didn't seem to notice the tension in her classroom. "Once you've done that, we'll read a little about it in the book and then partner up and practice."

Amber quickly wrote down the notes on the board, and was the second one finished. Phil had sped through his notes and was now flipping through his Charms book again. Her curiosity rising, Amber was going to ask him what he was doing, when Professor Lovegood said it was time to do the reading. Phil raised his hand only seconds before Amber did.

"Miss Hutchingson?" Professor Lovegood smiled.

"I've already read the entire book, Professor," Amber lowered her hand.

"I've read half of it so far," Phil blurted.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that. You two wouldn't mind rereading it, would you? It's only a few short paragraphs."

Amber shrugged and Phil shook his head.

"Good. Everyone does have a copy of the book? Great. You may begin reading."

Amber, who's curiosity was beginning to grow more rapidly, wondered what could possibly have possessed Phil to read half of the Charms textbook. He hadn't said anything to them, but then again, he hadn't been with them when David and Alex had asked her about her reading all of her textbooks.

After they were done reading, they were partnered up. Professor Lovegood moved the desks to the walls of the room so they could have space.

"Everyone have a partner?" Professor Lovegood looked around.

David and Alex were standing opposite each other, while Amber was facing Theo. Phil had partnered up with Leo Pulin. Three Ravenclaws had partnered together because of the uneven number of students.

"Now, practice how to say it first. Everyone together!" Professor Lovegood raised her arm. The entire class said along with her, "Expelliarmus!"

Once they'd practiced how to say the spell, Professor Lovegood had them take out their wands and practice the wand movements. Amber found the wand movement easy enough, but Theo seemed to be having some difficulties.

"That's good enough! You may begin practicing with your partners!" Professor Lovegood gestured for the class to get on with it.

There were several shouts of "Expelliarmus!" around her, but Amber ignored everything. Theo raised his wand and tried to disarm her, but Amber was too quick for him.

"Expelliarmus!" she said, twitching her wand so that Theo's wand flew into the air and right into her awaiting hands.

Theo's face fell when one of the Ravenclaw boys, Miles Zimerman, laughed. Amber glared at Miles before striding over to Theo and handing him his wand.

"You weren't waving your wand correctly," Amber told him. "Watch closely." She lifted her wand up and slowly did the wand movement. "Did you get that?"

"Yeah," Theo grumbled.

"Let's see you do it, then," Amber crossed her arms.

Theo raised his own wand and flicked it.

"You're still doing it wrong," Amber grabbed his wrist and showed him the correct way. "You're twisting your wrist too much. Relax it out and you won't be so jerky."

"I've got it now," Theo told her.

Amber nodded and walked away. They faced one another again.

"Expelliarmus!" Amber flicked her wand.

Theo's wand went flying into her hands again. He looked rather grumpy now as she handed it back.

"I almost had it, but you're too quick," Theo snorted.

"It's better this way," Amber told him. "You'll learn to get faster."

"Fine, just go again," Theo mumbled.

By the end of class, Theo had only managed to disarm Amber once because she'd been distracted by an escaped wand flying over her head. She didn't want to ruin his one victory, so she didn't mention she'd been nearly hit by the wand. He couldn't stop talking about it as they left the room to head for the common room to get their Defense Against the Dark Arts books.

"A little enthusiastic about disarming the cleverest witch of our year, aren't you?" David gave Theo a grin.

Theo stopped mid-sentence. "What?"

"Oh, trying to make me feel better now? Calling me the cleverest witch of our year won't work, David," Amber's tone was discredited from her grin.

"You are, though," Alex was chewing a Chocolate Frog and reading the card he'd gotten in the package. "You've read all the textbooks and you've already showed you can answer questions. And you were the only one in class just now who succeeded with the spell on your first try."

Amber fiddled with her book bag as they headed for the common room. "That does not make me the cleverest witch of our year. There could be others who are smarter then me. I barely just learned I'm a witch! I'd have to say even you all are smarter than me when it comes to the Wizarding world."

"Stop trying to pretend you aren't something you are," Theo told her. "Isn't that what you told me? You should start taking your own advice."

Amber blushed when David and Alex looked at one another with the same teasing look. She was expecting Phil to say something, but when she looked around, she noticed that Phil wasn't there.

"Where'd Phil go?" Amber asked.

"Don't change the subject!" Theo told her.

"No, I'm serious. He's not here," Amber looked down the corridor they'd just walked through, but saw nothing except a ghost glide by.

"I think he stayed back to talk to Professor Lovegood," David replied.

"Have you noticed how weird he's been acting since right after Transfiguration?" Alex wondered just as they came upon the Fat Lady.

"Yeah, I noticed," David looked up at the painting. "Apple Dumpling."

"Right," she mumbled, swinging her portrait forward for them.

"What'd you think he's up to?" Alex wondered as they climbed through.

"Who knows? He doesn't seem to want to tell us," David shrugged.

"He'll tell us when he's ready," Amber assured them. "I'll be right back down."

She headed for her dormitory, where Helen was pouring herself a glass of water from the water jug on a bedside table. Helen spilled some of the water when she saw Amber.

"Oops. That wasn't very smart," Helen turned away from Amber.

Amber put her Charms book away and picked up her book _The Dark Arts: The Basics_. When she turned back around, Helen was staring at her.

"Is something wrong?" Amber stared back.

Helen shook her head. "I'm just amazed that you stood up to Mallory like you did. That was very brave, and very nice of you to stick up for Theodore. But why are you hanging out with him now? He's a thief."

"He is not a thief," Amber stated clearly and allowed herself to stick her chin a little higher. "He's just an innocent guy who's being accused of doing something he didn't."

"What makes you believe that?"

"He told me so. And I saw the look on his face when Mallory shouted at him for having her quill." Amber added quickly, "And I saw him the day that Professor dragged him into the Great Hall and said he'd found him with the Sorting Hat. Theo is innocent."

Helen picked up her own copy of the Defense Against the Dark Arts book and headed for the doorway. Before leaving, she looked over her shoulder and said, "You don't look like the kind of person who would stand up for what she believes in. Then again, we've all got surprises hidden in us."

Amber didn't quite know what that meant, but she was thankful Helen understood where she stood in the matter. With a sigh, she headed down the stairs to meet up with David, Alex, and Theo.

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Amber didn't speak the entire time they were heading to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Her mind was dwelling on the thought of _why_ she had decided to stick up for Theodore.

_It has to be more than that we're both Muggleborn, _Amber thought as they took their seats near the front of the classroom. She slipped her book from her bag and neatly set it on the table in front of her. _Maybe I just feel pity for him because I saw the way his father treated him? No, that can't be it._

Professor Wynn strolled into the classroom. His fuzzy, graying hair was pulled back from his eyes by a scrap of blue material that matched his navy blue robes. A few of the Hufflepuffs were still murmuring to one another when he stood at the front of the class. The talkative students stopped abruptly when he gave them a patient look.

"Good. Now that I have your attention, I'd like to begin. As you all know, the greatest Dark Wizard in all of history is no longer among the living. That news could have given you all a sense of security, but do not underestimate the Dark magic. It lurks in the shadows, and will always be there. No one will ever fully banish the Dark magic and those who partake in its evil. That is why I am here. My job is to teach you how to defend yourself from the Dark magic and its followers. Everyone turn to page one and read the introduction to defensive magic, please. Yes, Miss..."

Amber, not for the first time that day, had raised her hand. "I'm Amber Hutchingson, sir. I've already read the entire textbook."

Professor Wynn looked politely flabbergasted. "You aren't a Ravenclaw, are you?"

"No, sir. I'm in Gryffindor," Amber blushed.

"Yes, I remember giving you your schedule this morning." Professor Wynn gave her a rather peculiar smile. "Get your academics from your father, do you?"

"I'm not sure, Professor. He's a Muggle, so I don't really know," Amber smiled sheepishly.

"Ah, yes. Yes. Never mind, then. You can read, or do something else quietly. Class, please begin reading the introduction. Page one!"

So, while the students around her read, Amber looked out the window and wondered what Professor Wynn had meant by "Get your academics from your father, do you?" He wouldn't possibly have tried to guess where her academic skills came from when he didn't even know her parents. Then again, Professor Wynn could have known her parents from a Muggle grade school, if the Professor were also Muggleborn.

Once they were all done reading, Professor Wynn wrote questions on the blackboard for them to answer. He assigned them homework – read Chapter One in the book – at the end of class, just before they were allowed to leave.

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David, Alex, Theo, Phil, and Amber headed to the Great Hall for dinner. Amber didn't bring up the subject of Professor Wynn's indication of her inheriting her father's academic skills while they ate. There were too many delicious smelling foods she wanted to try, including roasted chicken, steamed peas, and a blueberry tart. By the time David, Alex, and Amber retreated to the common room, they were all sleepy and full. Theo and Phil had stayed to finish their own meals.

There was a crowd of Gryffindors in the room, but only a few seconds years were lounging in the chairs. The rest of the students looked as if they were doing homework at the tables.

David led the way to the comfortable, fireside chairs. Alex stretched himself out before snuggling down.

"I have something to tell you," Amber whispered to them. David was immediately interested, but Alex only opened one, dreary eye. "It might sound a little strange..."

"You can tell us anything," David assured her when she paused.

Amber sighed. "Professor Wynn seemed to hint that he knew my father. But how could he, unless he was Muggleborn?"

David sat back in his chair, the reflection of the fire dancing in his brown eyes. "He _could_ have been Muggleborn."

"I still think that it's a little bizarre," Amber fiddled with the sleeve of her robe. "My parents seemed surprised when I got my letter, but it only looked like they were...pretending. Like they were trying to act surprised." Amber stood up, exasperated. "And my mum hinted, even if by accident, that she thought my being a witch was strange. And my father was never all that interested, either. He barely said anything on the subject." Amber was pacing now, turning round and round and not noticing where she was going. "Plus, there's that whole thing with that letter! And don't forget Twilight being...Ah!"

Amber, who's pacing had quickened with each word, had tripped over the carpet and was now sprawled out on her stomach.

"Are you okay?" David bent down to help her to her feet.

"It's nothing. I do it whenever I get agitated," Amber brushed off her robes. "I get clumsy when I'm really upset. Doesn't happen often, actually."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Alex stared at her with a wrinkled forehead. "You looked like you'd flattened your nose for a moment."

Amber ran a hand through her hair to get it out of her face. "I'm fine. I'm probably just a little more tired than I thought."

"You don't look that tired," David commented.

Amber shrugged. "I'm going to bed. I think I'll read some more of my Transfiguration book. See you tomorrow morning."

She waved shortly before heading to the girls' dormitory, leaving behind two, very confused boys.

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Amber fell asleep amazingly fast. She'd barely read a page of _Transfiguration: A Study of Transmutation_ before her eyes had drooped shut. As she fell asleep, her mind was mainly on why her parents didn't want to write to her and the mysteries that had played themselves out ever since she'd arrived at Hogwarts.

_A lady was walking quickly down a path that looked well trod upon. She was holding a bundle in her arms. It squirmed in her grasp and she hissed at it to be silent. There was a tiny, baby's face peering out into the darkness from the pile of blankets. Her footsteps quickening, the lady cloaked in tattered robes headed to a shrine that was nearly hidden by ivy vines and overgrown, dead brush. Sitting upon the shrine was a shadowed figure dressed in a fur lined robe of ebony black. _

_The lady walked up to him and kneeled to one knee. Her hair, which was raven black and silver streaked, brushed the baby's cheek. The poor infant wriggled again as the lady held it up to the figure. "Here is your Sacrifice, my Lord!"_

_Pale hands that had never been caressed by sunlight reached for the child. A thunderous voice screamed a spell and a blast of red light tossed the shadow man into the forest. The castor of the spell showed himself, his wand raised at the lady's chest._

"_Let go of my daughter, or you will not see the light of tomorrow!" he snarled savagely._

_Another woman, more youthful looking than the man, stepped out from behind her husband, her own wand raised at the still kneeling lady. _

"_You had better listen to him!" the youthful woman warned._

"_Fools!" the lady stood, clutching the babe to her. "My Master needs this child! She is the one he needs to fulfill the prophecy! 'Born from a werewolf and a Metamorphmagus, the Child will give eternal life to the one who sacrifices it'!" _

"_Let my daughter go!" the man roared. A gust of wind blew his gray hair about his shallow cheeks. "Or you will pay!"_

"_I do not fear death! I do not fear the Dementor's Kiss! I do not fear Azkaban! I do not fear anything! Your revenge will have no affect! Your revenge will be useless!" the lady screeched._

"_Alohamora!" the gray haired man pointed at a case that had been hidden beside him._

_The case opened up, and a man stepped out._

"_You have betrayed me, Damelda! Your work has failed to get me the Child I need to become eternal! Your death will not displease me!"_

_His face came into view by a sudden shaft of moonlight. The face was as pale as the hands, with slits for a nose and blood red eyes._

"_My father never fully reached eternal life, but because you have failed me, you have also failed him!" the man raised a hand as if to smack the lady now crying upon the ground..._

Amber awoke, still screaming, her face wet from both sweat and cool water. Connie was standing beside her bed, an empty glass, with water dripping inside it, clutched in her white-knuckled hand. The other girls were staring at Amber from their beds.

"Sorry, bad dream," Amber mumbled.

Mallory shrugged and turned back over. She was snoring within moments. The other girls gave worried looks, but went back to sleep also.

"Thanks for waking me up," Amber said to Connie, unable to look her in the eyes.

"What were you dreaming?" Connie put the glass down.

"I can't even remember now, actually," Amber replied.

Connie looked at Amber as if she didn't believe her.

"I'm fine, Connie. Go back to bed," Amber untangled the blankets around her legs. "It was just a stupid dream."

"If you're so sure..." Connie turned and walked back to her bed. Before she climbed in, she turned back to Amber. "I think I should let you know...you were screaming something that sounded like 'Don't kill them! Don't kill them!' You sounded scared. Well...um...I'm going back to sleep."

Amber stared into the darkness after Connie had slipped back under her covers. There was a mysterious feeling in the pit of her stomach. It almost felt like nausea, but wasn't quite. She rubbed her eyes, trying to get the afterimages away of the white faced man and the couple who had been trying to protect their daughter. It had been so vivid, so life-like. Almost like a memory...

_I wonder what a Metamorphmagus is?_ Amber lay back into her cold, sweat drenched pillow. _And are werewolves real?_ She didn't get a chance to think much about it because she was asleep again in a minute.

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The next morning, Amber was slightly groggy when she woke. When she headed down to the common room, her Transfiguration book under her arm, she found only Theo waiting for her. He was staring into the ashes of last night's fire.

"Where're David and Alex?" Amber asked him.

"Still getting ready," Theo continued to stare into the embers.

Amber sat down next to him and flipped to the index of her book. He glanced at her momentarily before turning back to the fireplace. Ignoring him, Amber ran her finger down the M section of the index. There was nothing there about "Metamorphmagus." With a sigh, she slammed the book shut.

Laughing voices reached their ears, but it was only a group of seventh year boys heading for breakfast. Amber looked out at the blue sky through one of the windows.

"They're taking an awfully long time, aren't they?" Amber grumbled.

Theo finally looked at her fully in the face. "They made me leave. David had a dream last night. It sounded stupid, but they made me leave as soon as I'd finished getting dressed."

Amber's face must have paled more then she'd realized.

"Something wrong?" Theo wondered.

"No, just...the chills," Amber rubbed her arms. "Did he say what kind of dream?"

Theo shook his head. "Nope. They refused to say anything about it until I left."

There were footsteps on the stairs and Alex and David finally appeared. Amber and Theo stood up, ready to head to breakfast.

"You might want to sit down, Amber," David whispered. "I've got some bad news."

Amber took her seat again. Theo remained standing.

"What's this all about?" Theodore demanded angrily.

"It's about Amber's parents," David whispered. "I had a dream last night that they were..." he paused.

"Were _what_, David?" Amber urged him on.

"I saw someone murder them."

Amber stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Oh, very funny! Dreams aren't real, David. My parents are perfectly fine!"

The portrait hole opened, and a grim faced Professor Wynn climbed through. When he saw Amber, his face fell even more as he walked over.

"Amber, I very much hate to have to do this. Would you rather come to my office, or shall we stay here with your friends?" Professor Wynn nodded to David, Alex, and Theo.

"Here is fine," Amber told him, the nauseous feeling returning.

"I'm sorry, Amber, very sorry. Your parents...Mr. and Mrs. Hutchingson...they were found dead last night in their home. The Muggle police are baffled, but the Ministry of Magic knows that magic was performed in the house at the time they were guessed to have died."

Amber felt all the blood rush from her face. The nauseating feeling grew worse as she slowly realized what this meant. Her parents were dead – she was an orphan!

David was staring off into the distance, his expression hard to read from his glazed over eyes. Alex's mouth had dropped open. Theo had sat down very fast and nearly fallen off the chair.

"I'm so sorry, Amber. The house has been inherited to you, along with all of your parents' belongings. Unfortunately, you cannot live in the house alone. Your parents selected the guardians who were supposed to take you, but they are...unavailable right now," Professor Wynn sighed. "Seeing as you have no guardians, the Ministry will see if there are any Wizarding families willing to adopt you."

Amber covered her mouth and felt the tears. Her whole body was numb with shock. She couldn't believe it...her parents couldn't be dead! And Professor Wynn was saying someone had used magic to murder them! This had to be a dream! It all had to be a dream!

"Why would anyone want to murder them?" she whispered. "They were Muggles...they had nothing to do with the Wizarding world!"

"Amber," Professor Wynn placed a hand on her shoulder. "There are a few things you need to know. I'm not the one to tell you, however. The Headmistress and Minister of Magic are waiting for you in the Headmistress's office."

Amber nodded, rubbing the tears off her face. "Can I talk to my friends...before we go?"

He nodded. "I'll wait outside the portrait hole for you."

Amber waited until the portrait had swung all the way shut before turning to her friends. "David, you had better explain yourself right now! How could you have known my parents were murdered?"

David rubbed the top of his head. "It may sound idiotic to you, but sometimes my dreams come true. Normally they aren't all that important, like I'll dream about someone tripping and falling, or someone having forgotten to do something. This time was really different. I was there, but I wasn't _really_ there. I saw what was happening, but there was nothing I could do to stop it."

"Who was it?" Amber requested. "Who murdered my parents?"

"I couldn't see her face. She was wearing a mask and a hood. But I did see black hair streaked with silver," David looked at Amber with saddened eyes. "She was yelling at your parents. She was screaming, 'Where is she? Where's the Child? I need the Child!' I could see her eyes through the holes in her mask...cold eyes like frozen chips of ice. I recognized the mask she wore from my father's description of them. She was wearing a Death Eater's mask."

Amber gasped. "'Born from a werewolf and a Metamorphmagus, the Child will give eternal life to the one who sacrifices it!' You...you saw the same lady!"

"Amber, what are you talking about? How do you know what a Metamorphmagus is?" David gazed intently at her. "And what do you mean I saw the same lady?"

Amber quickly described her dream with the lady, the pale man with the blood red eyes, and the couple who were trying to save the baby.

"His _father_ tried to..." David's face became pasty. "Oh, no..."

"What?" Amber swallowed.

The portrait swung open and Professor Wynn called, "Amber, we need to go. The Minister cannot wait forever."

"I'll be back," Amber headed toward the portrait hole.

She and Professor Wynn were silent as he brought her to the Headmistress's office. They stopped in front of a stone gargoyle.

"Hungarian Horntail," Professor Wynn said to the statue.

It leaped aside and produced a winding staircase. Amber began to walk up, Professor Wynn behind her. They came upon a door with a brass lionhead knocker. The Professor clapped it and a voice Amber recognized as the Headmistress's called for them to come in.

Professor Wynn opened the door and allowed Amber in first. She stepped inside and was surprised to find an elegant room full of shelves of books and walls lined with portraits. An oak desk was set on the other side of the room with stacks of papers, bottles of ink, piles of quills, and a sweet scented candle upon it. Sitting behind it in a high backed chair was Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress. There were three chairs sitting in front of the desk. Seated in the far left one was a lady with extremely curly, blonde hair and an angelic face. She was dressed in pale blue business robes and comfortable looking, white shoes.

The angelic faced lady stood up when Amber stopped behind the chairs. The lady stuck out her hand and said, "You must be Amber. My name is Liana Torra, and I am the Minister of Magic. You may call me Ms. Torra."

Amber shook her hand for a moment.

"Would you like to sit down, please, Amber?" Ms. Torra indicated the middle chair. "Professor Wynn, you can return to your duties, thank you."

Amber watched Professor Wynn leave before sitting down. Her stomach was clenching and squirming. To try and get her nerves off of the subject at hand, she looked at some of the portraits. One of them, located behind the desk, caught her eye. It was of a man with a long mane of silver hair and beard and half-moon spectacles perched on his crooked nose. The pale blue eyes that looked at her were intelligent and kind and she felt calmer, somehow.

"Amber, this is a tragic time for you, we understand," Professor McGonagall seemed to know which portrait Amber was looking at from the very small twinkle in her eyes. "It is our great regret that we have to tell you this so soon. But, we will learn from another man's mistake and tell you now."

"Where do we begin?" Ms. Torra shook her head sadly. "Many years ago, before you were born, there was a Dark wizard who's name none but the bravest spoke. His name will forever be in history as a name of great evil, and great loss. His existence sparked a war in the Wizarding world – more than one, actually. Many died, and many became heroes. One of those heroes was the Boy Who Lived, or rather, Harry Potter. He single-handedly faced He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and destroyed him."

"I myself witnessed the termination of the Dark wizard," Professor McGonagall took over. "I had never seen such a battle in my life, and will never see such a battle again. Afterwards, life slowly returned to what could have been hoped as normal as possible. Hogwarts opened once more and students again filled its halls and classrooms. There had been many losses, many sacrifices, but life had to continue. We did not expect what happened next."

"It had been unknown to everyone that You-Know-Who had an heir. He had twins; a girl and a boy. The girl, as far as we know, is dead. The mother was murdered by You-Know-Who himself after she gave birth. The boy still lives, and seeks the same thing his father tried to achieve, but didn't..." Amber interrupted Ms. Torra.

"Eternal life. That's what You-Know-Who wanted, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Ms. Torra nodded. "None of us knew that a prophecy had been made by a Seer named Marvin Roggers that would help You-Know-Who's heir to achieve what his father hadn't. Only one person had witnessed it. Damelda Dole once worked for the Ministry of Magic. She reported it to the Minister at the time, but he dismissed it as just another prophecy that would never be fulfilled. Right after that, Damelda disappeared. Two people found her one day, years later, when she kidnapped their child. The two people were Remus Lupin and his wife, Nymphadora Tonks, who added his surname to hers. They went after Damelda themselves and confronted her and her Master, You-Know-Who's heir."

Professor McGonagall stood and walked around her desk so that she was standing in front of Amber. "Once they had saved their daughter, the Lupins returned to the Ministry of Magic. After they told authorities of their encounter, Remus and Nymphadora were forced to part from their daughter and go into hiding. The baby girl was sent to live with two Muggles that were distantly related to the Minister at the time, Ms. Liana Torra. That was nearly eleven years ago. Amber, that baby was you."

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**End of Chapter Six**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Author's Note**

I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! Amber's past is finally being revealed to her! What does she have in store next? Read and find out! And please review! I really want to know if people are reading this story! Thanks!

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I do own any characters made up for the purpose of this story. Please do not use them.

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**Chapter Seven**

_**More Surprises**_

Amber made no reaction. She already knew. Her dream had been replaying in her mind as the two woman talked. Everything seemed to be fitting together now. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hutchingson, had taken her in even though they had put themselves in danger doing so. Could that have been why they hadn't said much on the subject of her being a witch? Was that why they had written that letter saying they could no longer write? Could this be why Twilight had been attacked?

"Your real parents are still in hiding, which is why they cannot take care of you like the Hutchingsons had planned. We will find a good Wizarding family to take care of you until you are either eighteen, or your real parents can come out of hiding." Ms. Torra twined her fingers together and put her hands into her lap. "Are there any questions you have for us? We will try to answer as much as possible."

Amber looked up from her knees. "What's my real name? The one my real parents gave me?"

"The name your parents gave you was Amber Jane Tonks-Lupin. When the Hutchingsons took you in, your last name was changed," Ms. Torra explained.

"What did the prophecy say?"

Professor McGonagall and Ms. Torra glanced at one another.

"We are not sure if you want to know the prophecy, Amber," Ms. Torra gave her a sorrowful glance. "It is the very thing that put you into danger."

Amber sat straighter. "I want to know what it is that is putting me in danger. I want to know if there is anything I can do to stop me from becoming a sacrifice."

Professor McGonagall and Ms. Torra stared at her in surprise.

"Amber, how did you know the reason you were in danger was because you were the sacrifice?" Professor McGonagall eyed her from behind her glasses.

Amber swore at herself in her head for letting it slip. "I had a dream last night. About the encounter with Damelda and You-Know-Who's heir. I saw my parents come to save me. I saw what You-Know-Who's heir looked like. I also heard Damelda tell my parents that only the child born of a werewolf and a Metamorphmagus would give a person eternal life."

Professor McGonagall sighed. Ms. Torra looked even more sorrowful.

"I am so sorry, Amber. You _are_ the child spoken of in the prophecy. Your father, Remus, is a werewolf and your mother, Nymphadora, is a Metamorphmagus," Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Are you entirely sure you want to know the contents of the prophesy?"

Amber nodded quickly.

Professor McGonagall took a deep, steadying breath. "The words may not be exact, but you will understand." She took another deep breath before continuing,

"_The Child will be born at the birth of the sixth month to parents who have befriended the Chosen One...Born from a werewolf and a Metamorphmagus, the Child will give eternal life to the one who sacrifices it...Eternal life will be happy if the Child chooses...Eternal life will be horrid if the Child chooses...It is the Child's choice to surrender to death by another...The Child will be born at the birth of the sixth month to parents who have befriended the Chosen One..._"

"Who's the Chosen One?" Amber questioned.

"Harry Potter is the Chosen One. Both of your parents were friends of his," Professor McGonagall said. "And I have already told you that your parents were a werewolf and a Metamorphmagus."

"And the last part? About the Child choosing a happy, or horrid life?" Amber whispered.

Ms. Torra shook her head. "We can only guess about that part. It could have multiple meanings. The most obvious is that whoever does...sacrifice the Child will either have a good eternal life, or a horrible eternal life, depending on what the Child decides."

"So, it's my choice? I can choose to surrender and be sacrificed?" Amber looked at her knees.

"That is the most likely idea," Ms. Torra nodded.

Amber slumped in her chair, still trying to grasp everything that had just been said. Her parents were a wizard and a witch. She wasn't Muggleborn after all!

Professor McGonagall seemed to read her mind. "Everything we have said here, Amber, must be kept quiet. If you must tell someone, tell only those who you would trust with your life. It is not common knowledge that the Lupins are in hiding; many people think they are deceased. We have to keep up the image that you are Muggleborn."

Amber nodded, knowing already who the few people she was going to tell were.

"If that is all, Ms. Torra and I have other work we need to get to," Professor McGonagall pushed her glasses up her nose. "Do you know which class you have next?"

"It's on my schedule, but I left it it with my stuff in my room," Amber answered. "And, Professor, I didn't get to eat breakfast."

Professor McGonagall pulled out her wand and pointed at the desk. A silver plate with a pile of perfectly cooked toast appeared.

"Thank you," Amber grabbed a few pieces of the toast.

"Wait a moment," Professor McGonagall stopped Amber before she could leave. The Headmistress pulled a piece of parchment toward her, scribbled a note, rolled it up, and sealed it with her wand. "Take this to your Professor when you get to class." She put the note into Amber's hand. "Your first class should be over in about thirty minutes. Try and hurry."

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," Amber nodded. She left the room with rushed feet, and didn't look back.

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David, Alex, and Theo all gave her curious looks when she entered the dungeon. She gave the note to Professor Zabini and sat down with them. The Potions Professor only gave her a nod after he read the note.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted, you will be practicing a fairly simple potion today that will cause the taker to hiccup excessively. The ingredients to be used are on the board. If you are missing any of them, there is enough in the student cupboards. The directions are on page twenty-six. Begin."

Alex looked about to ask Amber a question about what had happened, but David stood on his foot.

"Ouch!" Alex hissed. "What was that for?"

"Keep quiet. Amber will tell us the details later," David pulled his cauldron toward him.

The four of them started their potions, Alex looking particularly crabby. Amber was paying close attention to what she was doing; she had a feeling that this teacher was going to be hard to please. David was attempting to do his best. Alex was still a little angry and accidentally put in a wrong ingredient so that his potion turned a puce green.

Professor Zabini began gliding around the room in his dark robes, peering into cauldrons here and there and mostly keeping quiet whenever he stopped at any of the Slytherin students' cauldrons. Amber felt her cheeks reddening as the Professor came closer; Alex's potion was an even more disgusting green and smelled like rotten eggs. David's was a lighter shade than Amber's, but he didn't seem to notice. He was mumbling under his breath at Alex. Theo's potion was the exact color the book had described as the ideal hue. Phil, however, had panicked when he saw the Professor heading their way and had dropped the three bottles he was holding into his potion. It had begun bubbling over just as the Professor reached their table.

With a wrinkled nose, the Professor waved a wand over Phil's potion. "Take care not to drop any more bottles in your further potions, or you will have points taken."

Phil's face turned cherry red and he slipped under the table to retrieve his bag.

"I have to say I didn't expect this from you, Potter," Professor Zabini looked coolly at David's potion. "Your father was horrible in Potions. Perhaps you're lucky and received some of your mother's potion skills."

David didn't answer, but Amber saw that his brown eyes were ablaze.

"Amber Hutchingson," Professor Zabini was distinctly surprised. "Very good, for a...what _is_ this, Mr. Weasley?"

Alex flinched at the look on Professor Zabini's face.

"Were you being lazy, or just inconsiderate to what you were doing?" the Professor demanded heatedly. "You have created much worse than a draught to cause hiccups, Mr. Weasley!" The Professor waved his wand over the cauldron and the potion disappeared. "Lucky for you that you didn't suggest one of your friends try this, Mr. Weasley. Next time you had better pay better attention, or I will give you detention along with decreased House points!" He turned to look at Theo. "Let us hope you have something better for me." He peered into Theo's cauldron. His eyes grew round and it was clear that he was shocked. "What is your name again? Aren't you in Gryffindor?"

"Theodore Dursley, sir. And, yes, I'm in Gryffindor," Theo answered.

Professor Zabini eyed Theodore with distaste and reverence all in one look. "Are you Muggleborn?"

Theo nodded.

"Hmmm," the Professor licked his lips. He said nothing for a moment, and then, rigidly, spun around and walked to the front of the class. "Homework! Read Chapter One and write a ten inch essay on the reasons one would use a Hiccuping Solution! Clean out your cauldrons and then you may leave!"

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"How'd you do it?" Alex snapped at Theo as soon as they were by themselves. "Your potion was perfect! You saw the shock on Professor Zabini's face! Did you cheat, or something?"

Theo looked hurt for a moment, and then his face became angry. "I did not cheat! I wish people'd stop accusing me of things I haven't done! I don't know how I did it! I wasn't even really paying attention! And I didn't cheat!" Theo shoved Alex and rushed off down the corridor.

"Alex! What's gotten into you?" Amber cried.

"Nothing!" Alex answered in a high pitched voice.

"Amber, you go on ahead. I'll talk with Alex," David gave her a look that she knew meant he wanted her to leave the two boys alone.

"Alright. I'll go talk with Theo," Amber rushed off, wondering what could have possibly gotten into Alex.

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Amber found Theo waiting for her by the fireplace in the common room.

"Theo, you know he didn't mean it. I think Alex is just feeling a little...left out right now," Amber sat down next to him.

Theo snorted. "Yeah, like he wants the things we're going through. What happened in the Headmistress's office, Amber?"

Amber shook her head. "I'd rather tell all of you at the same time. Did you happen to see Phil leave?"

Theo nodded. "He left right after he'd gotten his book in his bag. That Professor cleaned out his cauldron, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. That was really mean of Professor Zabini," Amber said. "Phil didn't mean to drop those bottles. And it wasn't Alex's fault he accidentally made poison."

Theo looked at her strangely.

"What?"

"Your eyes looked like they changed color for a moment there," Theo shook his head. "Must have been the light. What were you saying about poison?"

"Alex made a poison without trying to. I've read all the textbooks, remember?" Amber blushed. "I remember the book saying you have to pay close attention to what you're doing, or you can create something very dangerous. It's easy to mess up."

Theo was silent a moment. "I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. I was just...doing what felt right. I didn't even notice anyone else in the room at the time."

"I guess you're a natural at potions," Amber smiled. "I wish I was. It took a lot of concentration to get to where I was."

Theodore looked at her with a questioning look. "You really think I'm a natural?"

She nodded. "Would I lie about something like that? Oh, there's Alex and David. Come on. I bet Alex will apologize now."

Amber helped Theo to his feet and they walked over to the other two boys. David nudged Alex.

"Sorry for snapping at you, Theo," Alex grumbled. "Now, Amber, tell us what happened, or I think I'm going to burst!"

"Let's get our books first," Amber told them.

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Amber told the three of them everything that had happened in the Headmistress's office. They were very surprised as she told them about her real parents, and how one was a werewolf and the other was a Metamorphmagus.

David gasped when Amber explained about her parents.

"My dad did know them! Remus Lupin was friends with my dad's dad! And Tonks!" David grinned. "She helped my dad during the war! My parents never said much about them, and now I know why!"

Amber nodded glumly. "Because they're in hiding. I can't believe I never noticed how..."

"How what?" Theo prodded her to continue.

Amber shook her head. Her eyes scanned the greenhouses they had just arrived at. "I never noticed how different I looked from my parents...I mean, my adopted parents."

"Where's Professor Longbottom?" David questioned.

"I don't see him," Alex put his hand over his eyes to block the morning sun beating down on the them.

"There he is," Amber pointed.

The door to the first greenhouse opened and Professor Longbottom walked out. He looked joyful and exuberant. His blonde hair was tucked underneath a short, forest green, pointed wizard's hat with the tip folded over unintentionally. To match his hat, he wore robes that were a deep green a little lighter than forest green.

"Good morning, class! Those who don't know me, I'm Professor Longbottom! I will be teaching you all you need to know about magical plants. We'll look at harmful plants, like the jugar; and harmless plants, like the umbrolla. For now, we'll be discussing how to tell the difference between a magical plant, and those that Muggles frequently use. Come on, everyone inside Greenhouse One!"

They crowded into the greenhouse. Amber instantly felt the stuffiness and smelled the potting soil and a rotting pile of waste full of wriggling worms. Pots of all sizes hung from the crusty, glass ceiling. Tables upon tables were full of colorful plants that ranged from the size of a fingernail to the gigantic vine that took up one table all to itself.

"Gather round here," Professor Longbottom pointed to an empty table in the middle of the greenhouse. There were stools seated around it. "Take a seat everyone, please!"

Once everyone had taken a seat, Professor Longbottom began his lesson.

"Can anyone tell me a difference between a Muggle plant, and a magical plant?" Professor Longbottom looked around at all the faces staring at him. "Anyone?"

Amber raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Hutchingson?" the Professor smiled at her.

"A big different is if the plant moves with a free will. There's also the possibility of a plant being able to strangle people, such as the Devil's Snare. Muggle plants only move when they are growing, or when they are involuntarily moved by the wind," Amber stated clearly.

"Very good! Does anyone know what Devil's Snare is?" Professor Longbottom particularly looked at David and Alex.

David raised his hand cautiously.

"Yes, Mr. Potter?"

Heads turned to look at him. Many of the students seemed anxious to hear what he was going to say.

"Devil's Snare wraps itself around a living being and tries to strangle them. The more you move, the tighter its hold gets. The only thing that it is frightened of is light." David grinned apprehensively.

"Very good! Five points for Gryffindor for both David and Amber!" Professor Lovegood grinned. "Now, let's get out our books and read the first chapter on the multiple ways to determine whether the plant you are dealing with is a normal, Muggle plant, or a magical plant."

Amber raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Hutchingson, I know you've already read your textbook," Professor Longbottom smiled gently. " Please, go ahead and take a look at the plants in that section over there. I'll warn you if you're straying toward any of the dangerous plants."

"Don't worry, Professor. I'll be able to tell," Amber gave him a reassuring smile and went to take a look at the harmless plants.

As she looked, Amber noticed that many of the plants looked similar to plants her mother had in her garden. When Amber had been younger, she'd enjoyed helping her mother in the garden. In fact, she'd learned the names of many of the plants, and what climates they lived in and such. A memory flooded back into her mind of a time when she'd been seven, or eight...

"_Mommy, what's this plant called?" a young Amber pointed a pudgy finger at a beautiful plant that had bunches of tiny, pink and gold flowers on its vines._

_Her mother paused, as if she were afraid of the plant. "I don't know, honey. Your father always wanted me to get rid of that plant, but I've tried so many times, and it just keeps coming back! It's a very stubborn little plant."_

"_But, Mommy, why would Daddy want to get rid of it? It's pretty!" Amber was curious._

_Her mother shook her head. "No, Amber, honey, that plant is a dreadful little plant. It doesn't even have flowers on it! I have to put up with it, though."_

"_But, Mommy! There **are** flowers on it! See the little pink and gold flowers?" Amber pointed. "They're so beautiful!"_

"_Stop playing, Amber. There are no flowers on that plant!" Amber's mother grabbed her hand and started pulling her into the house. "Let's go wash up and have lunch. I'll make your favorite!"_

Amber's mother had only allowed her back into the garden a few times after that. Over time, Amber had completely forgotten about the beautiful flowered plant that had been in her mother's garden. Now she was remembering reading something in her Herbology book that described the flowered plant exactly.

"Bonnie Flora," Amber whispered, running a finger in a trail of potting soil. "Muggles can't see the flowers, but Wizarding folk can." Her eyes scanned the harmless plants and she spotted the flowered plant that had been in her mother's garden. This time, however, the flowers were a dark navy blue and a glorious, blood red.

"Ah, I see you've taken an interest in the Bonnie Flora," Professor Longbottom was standing at her shoulder. "Muggles cannot see them, but when wizards and witches do, they show the colors that describe what that person is feeling. I can see sun yellow and sky blue. Muggle men hate the plant and try to get rid of it, but no matter how hard you try, the little plant always comes back."

"I know. My mother used to have one in her garden," Amber smiled softly. "My father always wanted to get rid of it, but my mother said she couldn't."

"Well, you must know a lot of about this little plant," the Professor smiled brightly. "If you want to stay after class, I'll give you a bloom in a small pot."

"I'd like that," Amber's smile widened.

"I thought you would," he nodded. "Let's get back to class. I'm sure the other students are done reading."

She nodded, and returned to her seat so Professor Longbottom could finish class.

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Amber enjoyed the rest of class and was disappointed when they were dismissed for lunch. As they packed up, David and Phil happily discussed something that had happened to Phil when he was young, but Amber paid no attention. She gathered up her things and followed Professor Longbottom to the far end of the class work table. Alex and Theo glanced at each other briefly before catching David and Phil's attention. All four boys watched with wonderment.

Professor Longbottom carefully placed a Bonnie Flora bloom in a small pot for Amber and filled it with wet soil. "These are very special plants. They know how to survive in any climate, and in any pot or yard." He handed Amber the pot. "I have some other news for you, about your letter."

Amber saw the expressions change on her friends' faces. Theo was still more curious, while the other three were anxious.

"Was it forged?" Amber couldn't help the crack in her voice.

Professor Longbottom looked uneasy. "Not exactly. Professor Wynn took a very good look at it. The only curious thing he noticed was the handwriting was scribbled, as if the person writing were nervous, or crying."

"Could they have been kidnapped?" David blurted from the other end of the greenhouse. "Maybe someone forced her mum to write the letter!"

Professor Longbottom only sighed. "We can only speculate on the reasons. There are too many possibilities for what might have happened. For now, we have to assume your mother was only under a great stress when she wrote the letter."

Amber thought of Twilight and how he'd been injured. "Professor, what about my owl? Is it possible he went back to my house to try and get another letter, and was hurt by whoever may have been holding my adopted parents captive?"

"Adopted parents?" Phil shouted.

Amber paled. She'd just given away her parents weren't her real parents!

"Calm down, Amber. I already know about your real parents. I was acquainted with both of them during the war." Professor Longbottom motioned her toward the door. "Try and be careful next time, though. Not everyone knows. You may want to explain things to Phinidelus, also."

They headed up toward the castle for lunch, and Amber filled Phil in on everything.

"Professor, you never answered my question about my owl," Amber stated as they reached the entrance to the Great Hall.

"It's better not to assume something like that until it's proven," the Professor waved and disappeared through the door.

Amber snorted. "I wish he'd tell me what's really going on here! This is so frustrating not knowing the details!"

"Amber!" David cried.

"What?" Amber snapped angrily.

"Your hair!" David pointed.

Amber grabbed a lock of her hair and examined it. "What about it?"

"It's...black..." David squinted. "Or, at least it _was_."

"I saw it, too!" Alex glared at Amber's hair. "It was black until David said something."

Phil was looking at Amber with interest. "Didn't you tell me your mum was a Metamorphmagus?"

"Yes, why?" Amber dropped her hair impatiently.

"Do any of you know what a Metamorphmagus is?" Phil prodded them.

Amber, David, Alex, and Theo shook their heads.

Phil smiled a crooked smile and laughed shortly. "Metamorphmagus change their appearance at will. It's really good for disguising yourself. Amber could be one if her mum is."

Amber looked at Phil with shock. "What are you talking about? I can't change my appearance! That sounds so...fake!"

"Want to bet on it?" Phil asked.

David and Alex gave mischievous grins and looked at each other.

"Don't even think about it!" Amber snapped at them, remembering when they'd bet each other licorice wands if Professor Avis Transfigured into a bird.

"I'll go grab us some sandwiches and then we'll go find an empty classroom. I'll prove it that Amber is a Metamorphmagus." Phil left and came back with a sandwich for each of them. Then he led them to a deserted classroom with broken chairs and desks, and dust covering everything in thick layers.

"What now?" Alex wondered with a sneeze.

"We make Amber angry," Phil replied simply.

"How are we going to do that?" Theo questioned.

"Amber, I think you're the worst witch in all of history!" Phil yelped at her.

Amber rolled her eyes. "That's not going to work."

"Nobody likes you! Everybody hates you! You're a slimy, greasy, egotistical bag of vomit! You're selfish, bratty, and worst of all, you're a know-it-all!" Alex taunted, enjoying it.

Amber had her wand out and was shouting, "Petrificus Totalus!" before any of them knew what had happened. Alex fell to the stone floor, stiff as a board.

Theo cried out. "What'd you do to him?"

"I told you Amber was a Metamorphmagus!" Phil pointed at Amber.

"What?" Amber demanded.

"Here, look!" Phil passed her a metal wastebasket.

She looked at her reflection and gasped. A completely different person was staring back at her. Her eyes were now a dark brown, and her hair was black. The petite nose she called her own was longer, her lips thinner, and her cheekbones shallow.

Slowly, her normal features returned. With one hand, she touched her transforming face and wondered what was really happening.

Phil, who had muttered the countercurse so that Alex could stand and move, turned back to her. "See, I told you. Things like that usually run in the family."

"I can't control it!" Amber said worriedly. "What if something like that happens in public? Everyone would think I'm a freak! How many people are Metamorphmagus?"

Phil looked sorry for her. "It's not as common as you'd like it to be. It's very rare, actually."

Amber tossed the wastebasket aside. It clanged loudly against the wall before dropping to the floor heavily. "I don't want to be known as a freak by everyone. I barely know anyone!"

"You're not the only one, Amber," David patted Alex on the back as the red head brushed dust off his clothes. "I'm a Parselmouth."

"A what?" Amber raised an eyebrow.

"I speak to snakes," David explained. "My father does, too. He received the power from Voldemort, though. He wasn't even sure if something like that would be passed on in the family."

Amber shook her head. "That doesn't seem as bad as this. So, you talk to snakes? I start transforming in front of people, they'll think I'm a monster!"

"Amber, you're doing it again," Alex interrupted.

Amber slapped her hands over her face. "I don't like it! Why'd I get stuck with something like this? And why is it happening now?"

"We can't answer questions like that," Phil told her sadly. "But we can help you."

"How?" Amber kept her hands on her face.

"If we help you to control your metamorphing, the random transformations will stop," Phil shrugged. "I thought it was a good idea."

"It's not a good idea, it's a great idea!" David spoke up. "I know of two perfect places we can go to help Amber!"

Alex moaned suddenly. "No, no, no! I am not going anywhere near the Shrieking Shack!"

"How'd you read my mind?" David laughed. "And why not? It'll be just like what my grandpa used to do with his friends."

"What's the Shrieking Shack?" Amber wondered.

"It's an old building out in Hogsmeade. My grandpa James used to..." David stopped short.

"What?" Amber inquired with apprehension. "What is it?"

"David's grandpa James was best friends with your dad," Alex responded. "Your dad was a werewolf and he went to the Shrieking Shack with James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. James and the other two figured out how to Transfigure themselves into different animals to make it easier for your dad to...transform."

"They called themselves the Marauders," David continued, apparently having gotten control of himself. "All four of them had nicknames. My grandpa was Prongs, because he became a stag. Sirius, my dad's godfather, was called Padfoot because he turned into a dog. Your dad, he was called Moony, because...well...he was a werewolf. And Peter Pettigrew, who later was the cause of my grandparents' deaths, was called Wormtail because he could transform into a rat."

"What's the other place you were thinking about?" Phil asked David.

"It's called the Room of Requirement. My dad used it in his fifth year for DA meetings. We'll be hidden really well, and no one would bother us." David looked at each of them. "We better hurry up with a decision. Class is gonna start soon."

"Which is closer?" Amber asked.

"The Room of Requirement," David replied.

Amber thought about it for a moment. If she had their help, she could overcome the inability to control her metamorphing and there would be no worry of being called a monster in public. She finally looked up and pulled her hands from her face. "Okay, we'll do it."

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**End of Chapter Seven**


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